# stdin: Collect messages from the standard input stream

The `stdin()` driver collects messages from the standard input stream. When the standard input stream is closed, AxoSyslog stops and `stdin()` inherits all options from the `file()` source, including multi-line options, or `flags(no-parse)`.

The `stdin()` driver causes AxoSyslog to exit once it hits end-of-file (EOF).

## Declaration:
```
       stdin(); 
    
```

## Example: Using the stdin() driver
```
       @version: 4.25
        log { 
            source { stdin(); };
            destination { file("/dev/stdout"); };
        };
    
```

The following code snippet is an example of how the `stdin()` driver is used to collect a test message:
```
 
       $ echo "this is a test message" | ./syslog-ng -Fe --no-caps
        [2017-11-14T13:47:16.757938] syslog-ng starting up; version='3.12.1'
        [2017-11-14T13:47:16.758195] syslog-ng shutting down; version='3.12.1'
        Nov 14 13:47:16 testserver this is a test message
    
```

* * *

[stdin() source options](../../docs/axosyslog-core/chapter-sources/configuring-sources-stdin/stdin-source-options/index.md)

Last modified October 16, 2025: [Fix @version config numbers in examples (89688d87)](<https://github.com/axoflow/axosyslog-core-docs/commit/89688d8719a35ac2c048319e8fa82c11c6cad085>)