Log4j and Spring

[Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com>]

Recently I added support for Spring Cloud Config to Log4j.  In an effort to continue to persuade Spring to use Log4j as the default Logging implementation I would like to consider other ways we could improve our Spring integration. The problem is, I am not really sure what that would be. 

Currently, Spring uses a lowest common denominator approach in that you can configure root logging levels in application.yaml but it doesn’t support declaring appenders or filters. I’ve thought about being able to add the log4j logging configuration to the application.yaml, but Spring Boot actually initializes logging 3 times - once in SpringApplication.java where it has an SLF4J logger declared, again in Spring’s “boot” logger, and lastly when it initializes logging for the application. I am pretty sure only this last one would have any hope of being able to use the application.yaml and even then I am not sure if the logging configuration happens before it is available to be accessed.  I also thought about creating a Spring Lookup to be able to access Spring properties, but again if Log4j initializes before Spring the variables would not be available.

Thoughts or ideas?

Ralph

Re: Log4j and Spring

[Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com>]

Reconfiguring already is a fast and robust operation. But if you have status=“debug” enabled it is a little disconcerting to see it configure 4 times.

Ralph

> On Oct 9, 2019, at 11:49 AM, Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> If we made reconfiguring a fast and robust operation, there’d be nothing
> wrong with that approach.
> 
> On Wed, Oct 9, 2019 at 13:41, Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> I am sure we could, but I am not sure how that helps the usage in Spring.
>> 
>> Another thought would be to have Log4j reconfigure when it finally has
>> access to a configuration in the application.yaml, but that would mean
>> configuring Log4j a 4th time.
>> 
>> Ralph
>> 
>>> On Oct 9, 2019, at 11:12 AM, Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Can we provide a log4j configuration facade API for doing common
>>> programmatic configuration tasks like that? Think Configurator but for
>>> manipulating certain aspects of a Configuration that's already
>>> running.
>>> 
>>> On Wed, 9 Oct 2019 at 12:49, Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com>
>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Recently I added support for Spring Cloud Config to Log4j.  In an
>> effort to continue to persuade Spring to use Log4j as the default Logging
>> implementation I would like to consider other ways we could improve our
>> Spring integration. The problem is, I am not really sure what that would be.
>>>> 
>>>> Currently, Spring uses a lowest common denominator approach in that you
>> can configure root logging levels in application.yaml but it doesn’t
>> support declaring appenders or filters. I’ve thought about being able to
>> add the log4j logging configuration to the application.yaml, but Spring
>> Boot actually initializes logging 3 times - once in SpringApplication.java
>> where it has an SLF4J logger declared, again in Spring’s “boot” logger, and
>> lastly when it initializes logging for the application. I am pretty sure
>> only this last one would have any hope of being able to use the
>> application.yaml and even then I am not sure if the logging configuration
>> happens before it is available to be accessed.  I also thought about
>> creating a Spring Lookup to be able to access Spring properties, but again
>> if Log4j initializes before Spring the variables would not be available.
>>>> 
>>>> Thoughts or ideas?
>>>> 
>>>> Ralph
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
> Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>

Re: Log4j and Spring

[Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>]

If we made reconfiguring a fast and robust operation, there’d be nothing
wrong with that approach.

On Wed, Oct 9, 2019 at 13:41, Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com>
wrote:

> I am sure we could, but I am not sure how that helps the usage in Spring.
>
> Another thought would be to have Log4j reconfigure when it finally has
> access to a configuration in the application.yaml, but that would mean
> configuring Log4j a 4th time.
>
> Ralph
>
> > On Oct 9, 2019, at 11:12 AM, Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Can we provide a log4j configuration facade API for doing common
> > programmatic configuration tasks like that? Think Configurator but for
> > manipulating certain aspects of a Configuration that's already
> > running.
> >
> > On Wed, 9 Oct 2019 at 12:49, Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Recently I added support for Spring Cloud Config to Log4j.  In an
> effort to continue to persuade Spring to use Log4j as the default Logging
> implementation I would like to consider other ways we could improve our
> Spring integration. The problem is, I am not really sure what that would be.
> >>
> >> Currently, Spring uses a lowest common denominator approach in that you
> can configure root logging levels in application.yaml but it doesn’t
> support declaring appenders or filters. I’ve thought about being able to
> add the log4j logging configuration to the application.yaml, but Spring
> Boot actually initializes logging 3 times - once in SpringApplication.java
> where it has an SLF4J logger declared, again in Spring’s “boot” logger, and
> lastly when it initializes logging for the application. I am pretty sure
> only this last one would have any hope of being able to use the
> application.yaml and even then I am not sure if the logging configuration
> happens before it is available to be accessed.  I also thought about
> creating a Spring Lookup to be able to access Spring properties, but again
> if Log4j initializes before Spring the variables would not be available.
> >>
> >> Thoughts or ideas?
> >>
> >> Ralph
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>
> >
>
>
> --
Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>

Re: Log4j and Spring

[Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com>]

I am sure we could, but I am not sure how that helps the usage in Spring. 

Another thought would be to have Log4j reconfigure when it finally has access to a configuration in the application.yaml, but that would mean configuring Log4j a 4th time.

Ralph

> On Oct 9, 2019, at 11:12 AM, Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Can we provide a log4j configuration facade API for doing common
> programmatic configuration tasks like that? Think Configurator but for
> manipulating certain aspects of a Configuration that's already
> running.
> 
> On Wed, 9 Oct 2019 at 12:49, Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Recently I added support for Spring Cloud Config to Log4j.  In an effort to continue to persuade Spring to use Log4j as the default Logging implementation I would like to consider other ways we could improve our Spring integration. The problem is, I am not really sure what that would be.
>> 
>> Currently, Spring uses a lowest common denominator approach in that you can configure root logging levels in application.yaml but it doesn’t support declaring appenders or filters. I’ve thought about being able to add the log4j logging configuration to the application.yaml, but Spring Boot actually initializes logging 3 times - once in SpringApplication.java where it has an SLF4J logger declared, again in Spring’s “boot” logger, and lastly when it initializes logging for the application. I am pretty sure only this last one would have any hope of being able to use the application.yaml and even then I am not sure if the logging configuration happens before it is available to be accessed.  I also thought about creating a Spring Lookup to be able to access Spring properties, but again if Log4j initializes before Spring the variables would not be available.
>> 
>> Thoughts or ideas?
>> 
>> Ralph
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>
> 

Re: Log4j and Spring

[Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>]

Can we provide a log4j configuration facade API for doing common
programmatic configuration tasks like that? Think Configurator but for
manipulating certain aspects of a Configuration that's already
running.

On Wed, 9 Oct 2019 at 12:49, Ralph Goers <ra...@dslextreme.com> wrote:
>
> Recently I added support for Spring Cloud Config to Log4j.  In an effort to continue to persuade Spring to use Log4j as the default Logging implementation I would like to consider other ways we could improve our Spring integration. The problem is, I am not really sure what that would be.
>
> Currently, Spring uses a lowest common denominator approach in that you can configure root logging levels in application.yaml but it doesn’t support declaring appenders or filters. I’ve thought about being able to add the log4j logging configuration to the application.yaml, but Spring Boot actually initializes logging 3 times - once in SpringApplication.java where it has an SLF4J logger declared, again in Spring’s “boot” logger, and lastly when it initializes logging for the application. I am pretty sure only this last one would have any hope of being able to use the application.yaml and even then I am not sure if the logging configuration happens before it is available to be accessed.  I also thought about creating a Spring Lookup to be able to access Spring properties, but again if Log4j initializes before Spring the variables would not be available.
>
> Thoughts or ideas?
>
> Ralph



-- 
Matt Sicker <bo...@gmail.com>