Get all the features that the standard database log (dblog) messages view misses.

Filter and order - search in - watchdog log events

by any or all parameters - time, type, severity, user etc. - except message content.

Save and re-use log filters

Makes it much quicker to get in and check the site's health.

Weed out obsolete log entries

Delete log events that matches a filter. Get rid of all the junk.

Don't translate messages unless you really need that

Translation of log messages is a performance hog, and you might not need it at all.
And it may still be turned on temporarily or permanently if necessary.

Make sure the log view is always using the admin theme

An option. Nifty if the site has a user role dedicated for log viewing only.

How does it work?

Log Filter adds a new tab to the site's 'Recent log messages' view.
The new tab/view lists and displays logs pretty much like the standard dblog view.
But it adds a filtering form that can filter by much more than simply type and severity.
It also removes the 'Clear log messages' option from the standard view - deleting all logs indiscriminately is rarely desirable.

Log Filter doesn't...

change logs
ruin the standard log list and event views
add overhead
need dblog, only uses watchdog

Related modules

Requirements

PHP 5.3+
Judy - a small Javascript library, only included on Log Filter's tab/page

RTBC issues for Log Filter

Filters