Getting started

March 13, 2026 · View on GitHub

This guide gets you from zero to useful in a few minutes.

What RocketLog is good at

RocketLog is built for the boring-but-important debug work you do all day:

  • inspect a variable fast,
  • log a selected expression,
  • keep labels consistent,
  • clean up logs later without grep gymnastics.

It is not trying to be a full debugger. It is trying to make instrumentation dead simple.

Prerequisites

Required

  • Neovim
  • JavaScript or TypeScript files

Optional

Install with lazy.nvim

{
  "evanmcpheron/rocketlog.nvim",
  dependencies = {
    "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
    "folke/snacks.nvim",
  },
  config = function()
    require("rocketlog").setup()
  end,
}

Minimal install

{
  "evanmcpheron/rocketlog.nvim",
  dependencies = {
    "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
  },
  config = function()
    require("rocketlog").setup()
  end,
}

First five minutes

1. Open a JS or TS file

Example:

const fullName = user.profile.name;
const isAdmin = user.roles.includes("admin");

2. Log the word under the cursor

Put your cursor on fullName and press:

<leader>rL

RocketLog inserts:

const fullName = user.profile.name;
console.log(`🚀[ROCKETLOG] ~ user.ts:2 ~ fullName:`, fullName);
const isAdmin = user.roles.includes("admin");

3. Log a motion or text object

Put your cursor inside an expression and press:

<leader>rliw

That means:

  • <leader>rl → start a console.log operator
  • iw → apply it to the inner word

You can use many normal Vim motions and text objects after <leader>rl.

4. Open the dashboard

<leader>rr

From there you can:

  • preview logs,
  • filter them,
  • toggle them on and off,
  • delete them,
  • jump straight to the source.

5. Use help when you forget keys

Inside the dashboard:

  • glance at the footer cheatsheet for the most common actions,
  • press ? for the full help modal,
  • press q or <Esc> to close the modal.

6. Save the file

If refresh_on_save = true, RocketLog updates embedded file/line labels automatically before write.

TaskFastest way
Log one variable<leader>rL
Log a selected expression via motion<leader>rl + motion
Add a warning log<leader>rW or <leader>rw + motion
Open the dashboard<leader>rr
Open dashboard help?
Delete the next log below cursor<leader>rd
Clear all logs in the file<leader>ra

Example workflows

Quick probe

  1. Cursor on variable
  2. Press <leader>rL
  3. Re-run code
  4. Delete with <leader>rd or clean up in the dashboard

Inspect something larger

  1. Move cursor into the target expression
  2. Press <leader>rl plus a motion or text object
  3. Review output
  4. Open dashboard and toggle the log off with c if you want to keep it around temporarily

Review all instrumentation in a project

  1. Press <leader>rr
  2. Filter with /
  3. Open matching entries with <CR>
  4. Press ? any time you want the full key reference

What can block insertion

RocketLog intentionally refuses some unsafe insertion cases.

Implicit arrow return

Example:

const getName = () => user.profile.name;

RocketLog may warn that it cannot insert safely inside an implicit arrow return. The fix is simple:

const getName = () => {
  return user.profile.name;
};

Function header or params

If the selected range is in a function signature instead of the body, RocketLog will warn instead of inserting garbage into your code. Very considerate of it, honestly.

Next steps

Media placeholder — first run screenshot

Add a screenshot showing a simple TypeScript file with one inserted RocketLog and the cursor positioned on the logged variable.

Suggested filename: docs/assets/first-log.png

Media placeholder — getting started GIF

Add a GIF showing:

  • <leader>rL on a variable,
  • <leader>rliw on another token,
  • <leader>rr to open the dashboard,
  • ? to open the help modal.

Suggested filename: docs/assets/getting-started.gif