Logging Practices for Large Projects
At first glance, the Java logging API can seem rather over-engineered for most programming problems. The extra features and abilities don’t come in handy until you start building larger projects. In this section we’ll look at these features and recommended ways to use them. If you’re only using logging on smaller projects, you probably won’t need to use these features.
Configuration files
The following file shows how you can configure loggers in a project by using a properties file:
//:! c15:log.prop
#### Configuration File ####
# Global Params
# Handlers installed for the root logger
handlers= java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler java.util.logging.FileHandler
# Level for root logger—is used by any logger
# that does not have its level set
.level= FINEST
# Initialization class—the public default constructor
# of this class is called by the Logging framework
config = ConfigureLogging
# Configure FileHandler
# Logging file name - %u specifies unique
java.util.logging.FileHandler.pattern = java%g.log
# Write 100000 bytes before rotating this file
java.util.logging.FileHandler.limit = 100000
# Number of rotating files to be used
java.util.logging.FileHandler.count = 3
# Formatter to be used with this FileHandler
java.util.logging.FileHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
# Configure ConsoleHandler
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = FINEST
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
# Set Logger Levels #
com.level=SEVERE
com.bruceeckel.level = FINEST
com.bruceeckel.util.level = INFO
com.bruceeckel.test.level = FINER
random.level= SEVERE
///:~
The configuration file allows you to associate handlers with the root logger. The property handlers specify the comma-separated list of handlers you wish to register with the root logger. Here, we register the FileHandler and the ConsoleHandler with the root logger. The .level property species the default level for the logger. This level is used by all the loggers that are children of the root logger and do not have their own level specified. Note that, without a properties file, the default logging level of the root logger is INFO. This is because, in absence of a custom configuration file, the virtual machine uses the configuration from the JAVA_HOME\jre\lib\logging.properties file.
Rotating log files
The preceding configuration file generates rotating log files, which are used to prevent any log file from becoming too large. By setting the FileHandler.limit value, you give the maximum number of bytes allowed in one log file before the next one begins to fill. FileHandler.count determines the number of rotating log files to use; the configuration file shown here specifies three files. If all three files are filled to their maximum, then the first file begins to fill again, overwriting the old contents.
Alternatively, all the output can be put in a single file by giving a FileHandler.count value of one. (FileHandler parameters are explained in detail in the JDK documentation).
In order for the following program to use the preceding configuration file, you must specify the parameter java.util.logging.config.file on the command line:
java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=log.prop ConfigureLogging
The configuration file can only modify the root logger. If you want to add filters and handlers for other loggers, you must write the code to do it inside a Java file, as noted in the constructor:
//: c15:ConfigureLogging.java
// {JVMArgs: -Djava.util.logging.config.file=log.prop}
// {Clean: java0.log,java0.log.lck}
import com.bruceeckel.simpletest.*;
import java.util.logging.*;
public class ConfigureLogging {
private static Test monitor = new Test();
static Logger lgr = Logger.getLogger("com"),
lgr2 = Logger.getLogger("com.bruceeckel"),
util = Logger.getLogger("com.bruceeckel.util"),
test = Logger.getLogger("com.bruceeckel.test"),
rand = Logger.getLogger("random");
public ConfigureLogging() {
/* Set Additional formatters, Filters and Handlers for
the loggers here. You cannot specify the Handlers
for loggers except the root logger from the
configuration file. */
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
sendLogMessages(lgr);
sendLogMessages(lgr2);
sendLogMessages(util);
sendLogMessages(test);
sendLogMessages(rand);
monitor.expect("ConfigureLogging.out");
}
private static void sendLogMessages(Logger logger) {
System.out.println(" Logger Name : "
+ logger.getName() + " Level: " + logger.getLevel());
logger.finest("Finest");
logger.finer("Finer");
logger.fine("Fine");
logger.config("Config");
logger.info("Info");
logger.warning("Warning");
logger.severe("Severe");
}
} ///:~
The configuration will result in the output being sent to the files named java0.log, java1.log, and java2.log in the directory from which this program is executed.
Suggested practices
Although it’s not mandatory, you should generally consider using a logger for each class, following the standard of setting the logger name to be the same as the fully qualified name of the class. As shown earlier, this allows for finer-grained control of logging because of the ability to turn logging on and off based on namespaces.
If you don’t set the logging level for individual classes in that package, then the individual classes default to the logging level set for the package (assuming that you name the loggers according to their package and class).
If you control the logging level in a configuration file instead of changing it dynamically in your code, then you can modify logging levels without recompiling your code. Recompilation is not always an option when the system is deployed; often, only the class files are shipped to the destination environment.
Sometimes there is a requirement to execute some code to perform initialization activities such as adding Handlers, Filters, and Formatters to loggers. This can be achieved by setting the config property in the properties file. You can have multiple classes whose initialization can be done using the config property. These classes should be specified using space-delimited values like this:
config = ConfigureLogging1 ConfigureLogging2 Bar Baz
Classes specified in this fashion will have their default constructors invoked.
