Log4j is a simple and flexible logging framework. Logging equips the developer with detailed context for application failures. With log4j it is possible to enable logging at runtime without modifying the application binary. The log4j package is designed so that these statements can remain in shipped code without incurring a heavy performance cost.
Two most common configuration options are in practice industry wide i.e. using log4j.xml configuration and using log4j.properties configuration.
This this post, I am showing the example code for configuring log4j using log4j.properties file.
Step 1) Log4j Maven Dependencies
Create a maven java project and update log4j dependencies.
<dependency>
<groupId>log4j</groupId>
<artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
<version>1.2.17</version>
</dependency>
Step 2) Create log4j.properties file
This is the main properties file having all runtime configuration used by log4j. This file will have appenders information, log level information and output file names for file appenders.
log4j.rootLogger=DEBUG, consoleAppender, fileAppender log4j.appender.consoleAppender=org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender log4j.appender.consoleAppender.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout log4j.appender.consoleAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=[%t] %-5p %c %x - %m%n log4j.appender.fileAppender=org.apache.log4j.RollingFileAppender log4j.appender.fileAppender.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout log4j.appender.fileAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=[%t] %-5p %c %x - %m%n log4j.appender.fileAppender.File=demoApplication.log
Step 3)Test log4j logs
package com.howtodoinjava;
import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
import org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator;
public class Log4jPropertiesConfigurationExample
{
static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(Log4jPropertiesConfigurationExample.class);
public static void main(String[] args)
{
//PropertiesConfigurator is used to configure logger from properties file
PropertyConfigurator.configure("log4j.properties");
//Log in console in and log file
logger.debug("Log4j appender configuration is successful !!");
}
}
Output in console and demoApplication.log in project root folder:
[main] DEBUG com.howtodoinjava.Log4jPropertiesConfigurationExample - Log4j appender configuration is successful !!
Now let’s see some log4j.properties examples to output log messages to specific location.
Log4j Console Appender
Output logs to console
# Root logger log4j.rootLogger=INFO, console log4j.appender.console=org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender log4j.appender.console.Target=System.out log4j.appender.console.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout log4j.appender.consoleAppender.layout.ConversionPattern=[%t] %-5p %c %x - %m%n
Log4j Rolling File Appender
Output logs to file.
# Root logger log4j.rootLogger=INFO, file # Direct log messages to a log file log4j.appender.file=org.apache.log4j.RollingFileAppender log4j.appender.file.File=C:\\temp\info.log log4j.appender.file.MaxFileSize=10MB log4j.appender.file.MaxBackupIndex=10 log4j.appender.file.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout log4j.appender.file.layout.ConversionPattern=[%t] %-5p %c %x - %m%n
Let me know if any question.
Happy Learning !!
uday
Hi, can log4j support deleting of old log files ?
this is the configuration of my log file:
# log4j.rootLogger=debug, stdout, R log4j.rootLogger=trace, R log4j.appender.stdout=org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender log4j.appender.stdout.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout # Pattern to output the caller's file name and line number. log4j.appender.stdout.layout.ConversionPattern=%d{%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S} %r %-5p [%t] (%F:%l) - %m%n log4j.appender.R=org.apache.log4j.RollingFileAppender log4j.appender.R.File=/home/blueserver/symphony/config/securityservice.log #size of the FIle log4j.appender.R.MaxFileSize=10MB # Keep one backup file log4j.appender.R.MaxBackupIndex=10 log4j.appender.R.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout log4j.appender.R.layout.ConversionPattern=%d{%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S} %r %-5p [%t] - %m%nLokesh Gupta
Is
MaxBackupIndexnot working as expected? Your max log archive files count should be 10. After that they should be deleted.Ravi
Thanks for the example
sunil
how we can create a separate log file for each and every test case in test class
Suppose I have two test cases with names X and Y, when I execute all the test cases (X and Y), then I need to create folder (in parallel to execution) with current time stamp and inside that folder I need to create two log files with name same as the test case names (i.e. X and Y)
please help if any body having idea
Note : I am using Log4j framework with java language.
automated-testing
sandeep
how to create two different log file and how to copy the content of console to file
Antonio
it is not named log4j.properties instead of log4g.properties? It is called in the method as log4j.properties
tarun
Hi in my console logs are not getting displayed.
I have added the dependency.
The log4j.property file is mentioned below:
# Set root logger level to DEBUG and its only appender to A1.
log4j.rootLogger=DEBUG, A1
# A1 is set to be a ConsoleAppender.
log4j.appender.A1=org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender
# ***** Set root logger level to WARN and its two appenders to stdout and R.
log4j.rootLogger=INFO, R
log4j.appender.R=org.apache.log4j.RollingFileAppender
log4j.appender.R.File=auto-test.log
log4j.appender.R.MaxFileSize=10MB
log4j.appender.R.MaxBackupIndex=10
log4j.appender.R.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
log4j.appender.R.layout.ConversionPattern=%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss} %p – %m%n
I am using maven with TestNG in IntelliJ IDEA
Lokesh
Why “log4j.rootLogger” is written twice? Is it permitted? I believe it should be written only once in top of log file. Set different logging level using threshold property.
log4j.appender.R.Threshold = INFO
log4j.appender.A1.Threshold = DEBUG
Neelam Joshi
Hi, Could you please help me to create log file on parallel run because the log outputs to the console will be messed up with each other in parallel run.
Lokesh
Can you please elaborate more what exactly you want to achieve?
Neelam Joshi
Sorry for misunderstanding. Actually i am using log4j for my automation script(Using testng) and i am creating log files in html format. So earlier i was executing multiple scripts one by one and log files get generated properly correspondence to their tests(each log file for each method). Now i am running my scripts parallelly(lets say 10browers/ methods running simultaneously). So i am facing issue because console for each tests are started writing on other test’s log file. So if i am running 10 tests parallelly, at the the end of the script execution all the print command appearing on last log file and other 9 logs file are partially filled.
I hope you got my point :)
Thanks
Lokesh
If possible, can you please share your log4j properties/configuration file here. That will help in determining the correct solution for you.
Neelam Joshi
Okay. My log4j.properties file is as follows:
log = /usr/home/log4j
log4j.rootLogger = INFO, file
log4j.appender.file = com.logica.part.test.util.NewLogForEachRunFileAppender
log4j.appender.file.File=C:/workspace/Evovlve/log/logs.html
log4j.appender.file.encoding=UTF-8
log4j.appender.file.layout=com.ceb.shl.test.util.CustomLogHtmlLayout
log4j.appender.file.layout.Title=Output
log4j.appender.file.layout.LocationInfo=true
#log4j.appender.myappender.encoding=UTF-8
NewLogForEachRunFileAppender is my java file where i am renaming the file name for each test.
and the code i am using is:
package com.logica.part.test.util;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.UUID;
import org.apache.log4j.FileAppender;
import org.apache.log4j.Layout;
import org.apache.log4j.spi.ErrorCode;
public class NewLogForEachRunFileAppender extends FileAppender {
public NewLogForEachRunFileAppender() {
}
public NewLogForEachRunFileAppender(Layout layout, String filename,
boolean append, boolean bufferedIO, int bufferSize)
throws IOException
{
super(layout, filename, append, bufferedIO, bufferSize);
}
public NewLogForEachRunFileAppender(Layout layout, String filename,
boolean append) throws IOException {
super(layout, filename, append);
}
public NewLogForEachRunFileAppender(Layout layout, String filename)
throws IOException {
super(layout, filename);
}
public void activateOptions() {
if (fileName != null) {
try {
fileName = getNewLogFileName();
setFile(fileName, fileAppend, bufferedIO, bufferSize);
} catch (Exception e) {
errorHandler.error(“Error while activating log options”, e,
ErrorCode.FILE_OPEN_FAILURE);
}
}
}
private String getNewLogFileName() {
if (fileName != null) {
System.out.println(“filename–exist: “+fileName);
final String DOT = “.”;
final String HIPHEN = “-“;
final File logFile = new File(fileName);
final String fileName = logFile.getName();
String newFileName = “”;
final int dotIndex = fileName.indexOf(DOT);
if (dotIndex != -1) {
System.out.println(“logFile”);
UUID logId = UUID.randomUUID();
newFileName = “log_”+logId+”.html”;
// newFileName = fileName.substring(0, dotIndex)+System.currentTimeMillis()+fileName.substring(dotIndex);
} else {
System.out.println(“elseLogFile”);
// the file name has no extension. So, just append the timestamp
// at the end.
newFileName = fileName;
}
System.out.println(logFile.getParent()+File.separator+newFileName);
return logFile.getParent()+File.separator+newFileName;
}
return null;
}
}
Saro
Hi can we configure to create a separate file for INFO, DEBUG, ERROR
Lokesh Gupta
I believe we cannot. It’s related to appenders. Log level has nothing to do with it.
Asif C
HI, Where can i place the log4j.properties file under tomcat folder?
mauroprogram
But for the file log4g.properties what it is the location into the project ? into the directory resource ?????
Lokesh Gupta
Yes, you are right
mauroprogram
your site it is very very interessant .
All java technologies are explained thoroughly on your site.