feat(logging): Add visual indentation to scoped operations

Improves log readability by visually nesting output for scoped operations. This is achieved by introducing an `IndentationEnricher` and managing scope depth with `AsyncLocal` within `StartIndentedScope`.

Author: arturcic

src/GitVersion.Core/Core/BranchesContainingCommitFinder.cs

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public IEnumerable<IBranch> GetBranchesContainingCommit(ICommit commit, IEnumera
 
     private IEnumerable<IBranch> InnerGetBranchesContainingCommit(ICommit commit, IEnumerable<IBranch> branches, bool onlyTrackedBranches)
     {
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Getting branches containing the commit '{commit.Id}'."))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Getting branches containing the commit '{commit.Id}'."))
         {
             var directBranchHasBeenFound = false;
             this.logger.LogInformation("Trying to find direct branches.");

src/GitVersion.Core/Core/GitPreparer.cs

@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ private void CreateDynamicRepository(string? targetBranch)
 
         var gitDirectory = this.repositoryInfo.DynamicGitRepositoryPath;
 
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Creating dynamic repository at '{gitDirectory}'"))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Creating dynamic repository at '{gitDirectory}'"))
         {
             var gitVersionOptions = this.options.Value;
             var authentication = gitVersionOptions.AuthenticationInfo;
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ private void CreateDynamicRepository(string? targetBranch)
 
     private void NormalizeGitDirectory(string? targetBranch, bool isDynamicRepository)
     {
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Normalizing git directory for branch '{targetBranch}'"))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Normalizing git directory for branch '{targetBranch}'"))
         {
             // Normalize (download branches) before using the branch
             NormalizeGitDirectory(this.options.Value.Settings.NoFetch, targetBranch, isDynamicRepository);
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ private void NormalizeGitDirectory(string? targetBranch, bool isDynamicRepositor
 
     private void CloneRepository(string? repositoryUrl, string? gitDirectory, AuthenticationInfo auth)
     {
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Cloning repository from url '{repositoryUrl}'"))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Cloning repository from url '{repositoryUrl}'"))
         {
             this.retryAction.Execute(() => this.repository.Clone(repositoryUrl, gitDirectory, auth));
         }

src/GitVersion.Core/Core/MergeBaseFinder.cs

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ internal class MergeBaseFinder(IRepositoryStore repositoryStore, ILogger logger)
             return mergeBase;
         }
 
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Finding merge base between '{first}' and '{second}'."))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Finding merge base between '{first}' and '{second}'."))
         {
             // Other branch tip is a forward merge
             var commitToFindCommonBase = second.Tip;

src/GitVersion.Core/Core/RepositoryStore.cs

@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public BranchCommit FindCommitBranchBranchedFrom(IBranch? branch, IGitVersionCon
     {
         branch = branch.NotNull();
 
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Finding branch source of '{branch}'"))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Finding branch source of '{branch}'"))
         {
             if (branch.Tip == null)
             {
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public bool IsCommitOnBranch(ICommit? baseVersionSource, IBranch branch, ICommit
     private List<BranchCommit> FindCommitBranchesBranchedFrom(
         IBranch branch, IGitVersionConfiguration configuration, IEnumerable<IBranch> excludedBranches)
     {
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Finding branches source of '{branch}'"))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Finding branches source of '{branch}'"))
         {
             if (branch.Tip != null) return [.. new MergeCommitFinder(this, configuration, excludedBranches, logger).FindMergeCommitsFor(branch)];
             this.logger.LogWarning("Branch {Branch} has no tip.", branch);

src/GitVersion.Core/Core/TaggedSemanticVersionRepository.cs

@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public ILookup<ICommit, SemanticVersionWithTag> GetTaggedSemanticVersionsOfBranc
 
         IEnumerable<SemanticVersionWithTag> GetElements()
         {
-            using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Getting tagged semantic versions on branch '{branch.Name.Canonical}'. " +
+            using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Getting tagged semantic versions on branch '{branch.Name.Canonical}'. " +
                                       $"TagPrefix: {tagPrefix} and Format: {format}"))
             {
                 var semanticVersions = GetTaggedSemanticVersions(tagPrefix, format, ignore);
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public ILookup<ICommit, SemanticVersionWithTag> GetTaggedSemanticVersionsOfMerge
 
         IEnumerable<(ICommit Key, SemanticVersionWithTag Value)> GetElements()
         {
-            using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Getting tagged semantic versions by track merge target '{branch.Name.Canonical}'. " +
+            using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Getting tagged semantic versions by track merge target '{branch.Name.Canonical}'. " +
                                       $"TagPrefix: {tagPrefix} and Format: {format}"))
             {
                 var shaHashSet = new HashSet<string>(ignore.Filter(branch.Commits.ToArray()).Select(element => element.Id.Sha));

src/GitVersion.Core/Extensions/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs

@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ public TService GetServiceForType<TService, TType>() =>
 
     private static Serilog.Core.Logger CreateLogger()
     {
-        const string outputTemplate = "{Level:u4} [{Timestamp:yy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss:ff}] {Message:lj}{NewLine}{Exception}";
+        // Output template includes {Indent} for visual nesting of scoped operations
+        const string outputTemplate = "{Level:u4} [{Timestamp:yy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss:ff}] {Indent}{Message:lj}{NewLine}{Exception}";
         var formatProvider = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
         var logger = new LoggerConfiguration()
             // Log level is dynamically controlled by LoggingEnricher.LogLevelSwitch
@@ -50,6 +51,8 @@ private static Serilog.Core.Logger CreateLogger()
             .Enrich.With<LoggingEnricher>()
             // Add sensitive data masking for URL passwords
             .Enrich.With<SensitiveDataEnricher>()
+            // Add indentation for scoped operations (BeginTimedOperation)
+            .Enrich.With<IndentationEnricher>()
             // Console output with timestamp - controlled by IsConsoleEnabled flag
             .WriteTo.Conditional(
                 _ => LoggingEnricher.IsConsoleEnabled,

src/GitVersion.Core/Logging/IndentationEnricher.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+using Serilog.Core;
+using Serilog.Events;
+
+namespace GitVersion.Logging;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Serilog enricher that adds indentation to log messages based on the current scope depth.
+/// Works with <see cref="LoggerExtensions.StartIndentedScope"/> to provide visual nesting.
+/// </summary>
+internal sealed class IndentationEnricher : ILogEventEnricher
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The property name used to store the indentation.
+    /// </summary>
+    public const string IndentPropertyName = "Indent";
+
+    /// <inheritdoc />
+    public void Enrich(LogEvent logEvent, ILogEventPropertyFactory propertyFactory)
+    {
+        var indentation = LoggerExtensions.GetIndentation();
+        var indentProperty = propertyFactory.CreateProperty(IndentPropertyName, indentation);
+        logEvent.AddPropertyIfAbsent(indentProperty);
+    }
+}

src/GitVersion.Core/Logging/LoggerExtensions.cs

@@ -8,28 +8,45 @@ namespace GitVersion.Logging;
 /// </summary>
 internal static class LoggerExtensions
 {
+    private const string Indentation = "│   ";
+    private static readonly AsyncLocal<string> CurrentIndentation = new();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Gets the current indentation string for log messages.
+    /// Used by IndentationEnricher to add indentation to all log messages within a scope.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static string GetIndentation() => CurrentIndentation.Value ?? string.Empty;
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Provides extension methods for <see cref="ILogger"/> instances.
     /// </summary>
     extension(ILogger logger)
     {
         /// <summary>
         /// Begins a timed operation scope that logs the start and end times with duration.
+        /// All log messages within this scope will be indented.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="operationDescription">A description of the operation being timed.</param>
         /// <returns>An <see cref="IDisposable"/> that logs the end of the operation when disposed.</returns>
-        public IDisposable BeginTimedOperation(string operationDescription)
+        public IDisposable StartIndentedScope(string operationDescription)
         {
             ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(logger);
 
             var start = TimeProvider.System.GetTimestamp();
-            logger.LogInformation("-< Begin: {OperationDescription} >-", operationDescription);
+            logger.LogInformation("┌─── Begin: {OperationDescription}", operationDescription);
+
+            // Capture current indentation and increase it for nested logs
+            var previousIndentation = CurrentIndentation.Value ?? string.Empty;
+            CurrentIndentation.Value = previousIndentation + Indentation;
 
             return Disposable.Create(() =>
             {
+                // Restore previous indentation before logging the End message
+                CurrentIndentation.Value = previousIndentation;
+
                 var end = TimeProvider.System.GetTimestamp();
                 var duration = TimeProvider.System.GetElapsedTime(start, end).TotalMilliseconds;
-                logger.LogInformation("-< End: {OperationDescription} (Took: {Duration:N}ms) >-", operationDescription, duration);
+                logger.LogInformation("└─── End: {OperationDescription} (Took: {Duration:N}ms)", operationDescription, duration);
             });
         }
 

src/GitVersion.Core/VersionCalculation/Caching/GitVersionCacheProvider.cs

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public void WriteVariablesToDiskCache(GitVersionVariables versionVariables)
     {
         var cacheKey = GetCacheKey();
         var cacheFileName = GetCacheFileName(cacheKey);
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Write version variables to cache file {cacheFileName}"))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Write version variables to cache file {cacheFileName}"))
         {
             try
             {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public void WriteVariablesToDiskCache(GitVersionVariables versionVariables)
     {
         var cacheKey = GetCacheKey();
         var cacheFileName = GetCacheFileName(cacheKey);
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation($"Loading version variables from disk cache file {cacheFileName}"))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope($"Loading version variables from disk cache file {cacheFileName}"))
         {
             if (!this.fileSystem.File.Exists(cacheFileName))
             {

src/GitVersion.Core/VersionCalculation/VersionCalculators/ContinuousDeliveryVersionCalculator.cs

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ internal sealed class ContinuousDeliveryVersionCalculator(
 {
     public SemanticVersion Calculate(SemanticVersion semanticVersion, IBaseVersion baseVersion)
     {
-        using (this.logger.BeginTimedOperation("Using continuous delivery workflow to calculate the incremented version."))
+        using (this.logger.StartIndentedScope("Using continuous delivery workflow to calculate the incremented version."))
         {
             var preReleaseTag = semanticVersion.PreReleaseTag;
             if (!preReleaseTag.HasTag() || !preReleaseTag.Number.HasValue)