what is the difference？ zap or zap (sugared)

[icetech233]

what is the difference？ zap or zap (sugared)

[adilburaksen]

Two log handles in zap, trading ergonomics for performance:

zap.Logger (structured, typed)

logger, _ := zap.NewProduction()
logger.Info("server started",
    zap.String("host", "localhost"),
    zap.Int("port", 8080),
)

Fields must be typed explicitly. Zero allocations on the hot path. Use this in performance-critical code.

zap.SugaredLogger (flexible, printf-style)

sugar := logger.Sugar()

// Printf-style
sugar.Infof("server started on %s:%d", host, port)

// Loosely-typed key-value pairs
sugar.Infow("server started", "host", "localhost", "port", 8080)

Accepts interface{} values — convenient but uses reflection, so ~1-2 allocations per call. Use this when log calls aren't in tight loops.

When to use which:

	Logger	SugaredLogger
Performance	Zero alloc	~1-2 allocs/call
Type safety	Compile-time	Runtime
Verbosity	More	Less
Use case	Hot paths, libraries	Application code, one-offs

You can switch between them for free:

sugar := logger.Sugar()    // Logger → SugaredLogger
logger = sugar.Desugar()   // SugaredLogger → Logger

The rule of thumb from the zap docs: use Logger in libraries and tight loops, SugaredLogger everywhere else.