BitLogger/docs/api/identity-patch.md

name, group, category, update-time, description, key-word

name	group	category	update-time	description	key-word
identity-patch	api	patching	20260512	Create a reusable record patch that returns records unchanged.	patch transform record public

Identity-patch

Create a RecordPatch that returns the input record unchanged. This helper is useful as a neutral default, a placeholder in configuration, or a composition baseline.

Interface

pub fn identity_patch() -> RecordPatch {}

output

• RecordPatch - Patch function that returns the original record without modification.

Explanation

Detailed rules explaining key parameters and behaviors

• The returned patch is a pure pass-through transformation.
• It does not allocate new fields or rewrite existing properties.
• This helper is useful when a patch slot must be provided but no mutation is currently needed.
• It also works as a safe baseline inside compose_patches(...) pipelines.

How to Use

Here are some specific examples provided.

When Need A Neutral Patch

When a logger pipeline expects a patch but no rewrite is required yet:

let logger = Logger::new(console_sink())
  .with_patch(identity_patch())

In this example, the logger shape stays consistent while records remain unchanged.

When Build Patches Conditionally

When a branch may or may not enable a real patch:

let patch = if enable_redaction {
  redact_field("token")
} else {
  identity_patch()
}

In this example, caller code can still treat the result as a normal RecordPatch.

Error Case

e.g.:

• identity_patch() has no failure path; it simply returns the original record.

• If a caller expects visible transformation, using this patch will intentionally produce none.

Notes

1. Use this helper when you want a no-op patch with explicit intent instead of a custom inline closure.

2. It is especially useful in conditional or generated patch pipelines.