Pass the raw messages array in the event Hash to the encoder

The encoder is then responsible to format it as it pleases. Commonly,
encoders can use Rackstash::Encoders::Helpers::Message#normalize_message
to create a single combined message string.

If the encoder is not interested in using the message, it can jsut get
rid if it without incuring any overhead.

lib/rackstash/encoders/helpers/message.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+# Copyright 2017 Holger Just
+#
+# This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
+# of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
+
+module Rackstash
+  module Encoders
+    module Helpers
+      # Some useful helper methods for {Encoders} which help in normalizing and
+      # handling the message list in the event Hash.
+      module Message
+        # Normalize the `"message"` field of the given log event Hash.
+        #
+        # While the filters still had access to the array of {Message} objects
+        # for filtering, we now concatenate the raw message objects as a single
+        # string to get the final message which is set on the `event["message"]`
+        # key.
+        #
+        # We expect that the single messages already contain trailing newline
+        # characters is deemed useful. These are usually added by the formatter
+        # of the frontend {Logger}.
+        #
+        # @param event [Hash] a log event Hash
+        # @return [Hash] the given event with the `"message"` key set as a
+        #   single string.
+        def normalize_message(event)
+          event[FIELD_MESSAGE] =
+            case event[FIELD_MESSAGE]
+            when Array
+              event[FIELD_MESSAGE].map!(&:to_s).join
+            when nil
+              ''
+            else
+              event[FIELD_MESSAGE].to_s
+            end
+          event
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end

lib/rackstash/encoders/json.rb

@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 require 'json'
 
+require 'rackstash/encoders/helpers/message'
+
 module Rackstash
   module Encoders
     # The JSON encoder formats the log event as a single-line JSON string. The
@@ -13,9 +15,13 @@ module Rackstash
     #
     # Most {Adapters} default to use this codec.
     class JSON
+      include Rackstash::Encoders::Helpers::Message
+
       # @param event [Hash] a log event as produced by the {Flow}
       # @return [String] the event as a single-line JSON string
       def encode(event)
+        normalize_message(event)
+
         ::JSON.dump(event)
       end
     end

lib/rackstash/encoders/message.rb

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 # This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
 # of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
 
+require 'rackstash/encoders/helpers/message'
+
 module Rackstash
   module Encoders
     # The Message encoder only returns the message of log event. All other
@@ -13,10 +15,14 @@ module Rackstash
     # required, mostly during development where debug logs are directly consumed
     # by humans
     class Message
+      include Rackstash::Encoders::Helpers::Message
+
       # @param event [Hash] a log event as produced by the {Flow}
       # @return [String] the `"message"` field of the event. Trailing whitespace
       #     will be removed.
       def encode(event)
+        normalize_message(event)
+
         event[FIELD_MESSAGE].rstrip
       end
     end

lib/rackstash/flow.rb

@@ -200,15 +200,10 @@ module Rackstash
     # 1. At first, we filter the event with the defined filters in their given
     #    order. If any of the filters returns `false`, the writing will be
     #    aborted. No further filters will be applied and the event will not be
-    #    written to the adapter.
+    #    written to the adapter. See {FilterChain#call} for details.
-    # 2. After the filters, we normalize the `event["message"]` field. While the
+    # 2. We encode the event to a format suitable for the adapter using the
-    #    filters still had access to the array of {Message} objects for
-    #    filtering, we now concatenate the raw messages as a single string to
-    #    get the final event. The `event["message"]` field now contains a single
-    #    `String` object.
-    # 3. We encode the event to a format suitable for the adapter using the
     #    configured {#encoder}.
-    # 4. Finally, the encoded event will be passed to the {#adapter} to be send
+    # 3. Finally, the encoded event will be passed to the {#adapter} to be send
     #    to the actual log target, e.g. a file or an external log receiver.
     #
     # @api private
@@ -221,17 +216,6 @@ module Rackstash
       # Silently abort writing if any filter (and thus the while filter chain)
       # returns `false`.
       return false unless @filter_chain.call(event)
-
-      event[FIELD_MESSAGE] =
-        case event[FIELD_MESSAGE]
-        when Array
-          event[FIELD_MESSAGE].map!(&:to_s).join
-        when nil
-          ''
-        else
-          event[FIELD_MESSAGE].to_s
-        end
-
       @adapter.write @encoder.encode(event)
       true
     end

spec/rackstash/encoders/helpers/message_spec.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+# Copyright 2017 Holger Just
+#
+# This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
+# of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
+
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+require 'rackstash/encoders/helpers/message'
+
+describe Rackstash::Encoders::Helpers::Message do
+  let(:helper) { Object.new.extend(described_class) }
+  let(:event) { {} }
+
+  describe '#normalize_message' do
+    it 'concatenates the message array' do
+      event['message'] = ["a\n", "b\n"]
+
+      expect(helper.normalize_message(event)).to eql 'message' => "a\nb\n"
+    end
+
+    it 'sets message to an empty string if not present' do
+      event['message'] = nil
+      expect(helper.normalize_message(event)).to eql 'message' => ''
+    end
+
+    it 'enforces to_s on other messages' do
+      foo = String.new('foo')
+      event['message'] = foo
+
+      expect(foo).to receive(:to_s).and_call_original
+      expect(helper.normalize_message(event)).to eql 'message' => 'foo'
+    end
+  end
+end

spec/rackstash/encoders/json_spec.rb

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ describe Rackstash::Encoders::JSON do
 
   describe '#encode' do
     it 'formats the passed event hash as a JSON string' do
-      event = { 'hello' => 'world', 'message' => 'hello' }
+      event = { 'hello' => 'world', 'message' => ["hello\n", "world"] }
-      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql '{"hello":"world","message":"hello"}'
+      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql '{"hello":"world","message":"hello\nworld"}'
     end
 
     it 'formats newlines as \n' do

spec/rackstash/encoders/logstash_spec.rb

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ describe Rackstash::Encoders::Logstash do
 
   describe '#encode' do
     it 'formats the passed event hash as a JSON string and includes @version' do
-      event = { 'hello' => 'world', 'message' => 'hello' }
+      event = { 'hello' => 'world', 'message' => ["hello\n", "world"] }
-      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql '{"hello":"world","message":"hello","@version":"1"}'
+      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql '{"hello":"world","message":"hello\nworld","@version":"1"}'
     end
   end
 end

spec/rackstash/encoders/message_spec.rb

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ describe Rackstash::Encoders::Message do
 
   describe '#encode' do
     it 'gets the message from the event hash' do
-      event = { 'hello' => 'world', 'message' => 'hello' }
+      event = { 'hello' => 'world', 'message' => ["hello\n", "world"] }
-      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql 'hello'
+      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql "hello\nworld"
     end
 
     it 'rstrips the message' do

spec/rackstash/flow_spec.rb

@@ -277,30 +277,6 @@ describe Rackstash::Flow do
       flow.write!(event)
     end
 
-    it 'concatenates message array before encoding' do
-      event['message'] = ["a\n", "b\n"]
-
-      expect(flow.encoder).to receive(:encode).with('message' => "a\nb\n")
-      flow.write!(event)
-    end
-
-    it 'sets message to an emoty string if deleted' do
-      event['message'] = nil
-
-      expect(flow.encoder).to receive(:encode).with('message' => '')
-      flow.write!(event)
-    end
-
-    it 'enforces to_s on other messages' do
-      foo = String.new('foo')
-      event['message'] = foo
-
-      expect(foo).to receive(:to_s).and_call_original
-      expect(flow.encoder).to receive(:encode).with('message' => 'foo')
-
-      flow.write!(event)
-    end
-
     it 'encodes the event' do
       expect(flow.encoder).to receive(:encode).with(event)
       flow.write!(event)