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Introduction To Log4net

Log4net is a logging framework for .NET that provides fast, flexible, and hierarchical logging. It allows logging to multiple targets and has a proven architecture based on log4j. Log4net is highly configurable, supporting XML configuration and programmatic configuration. It provides features like log levels, appenders, layouts, filters, and object rendering for customizing log output.

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harputa
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952 views

Introduction To Log4net

Log4net is a logging framework for .NET that provides fast, flexible, and hierarchical logging. It allows logging to multiple targets and has a proven architecture based on log4j. Log4net is highly configurable, supporting XML configuration and programmatic configuration. It provides features like log levels, appenders, layouts, filters, and object rendering for customizing log output.

Uploaded by

harputa
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPTX or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to log4net

Rob Prouse
[email protected]
http://www.alteridem.net
Features
 Fast and flexible
 Hierarchical, named logging categories
 Multiple logging levels
 Output to multiple logging targets
 Dynamic XML Configuration
 Thread Safe
 Format of logs is easily changed
 Proven architecture (log4j)
 Modular and extensible design
 Support for multiple frameworks
Alternatives
 Enterprise Library 3.1 Logging Application Block
◦ http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/aa480464.aspx
◦ From Microsoft Patterns & Practices
◦ Possibly a good choice if you are already using Enterprise Library
◦ A bit heavy-weight
◦ Logging requires more code
 NLog
◦ http://www.nlog-project.org
◦ API is similar to log4net
◦ Easy to configure
◦ BSD License
◦ .NET, C/C++ and COM interfaces
◦ Project hasn’t been updated since its 1.0 release in Sept 2006
 .NET Logging Framework
◦ http://www.theobjectguy.com/dotnetlog/
◦ Lightweight
◦ Not as flexible
◦ Very little community support
 Roll your own
◦ We are paid to solve business problems, not to write code
◦ Error prone
◦ Can affect performance
License
 Apache License, Version 2.0
 Free to use, modify and distribute
 Can use in commercial software
 Does not require modified versions to use same license
 Only requires that a notice informing recipients that
Apache licensed code has been used.
 Two files must be put in the top directory of the software
◦ LICENSE – a copy of the license itself
◦ NOTICE – a list of the licensed libraries used and their
developers.
 *** IANAL ***
Logger Hierarchies
 Can be thought of as Categories
 Organized into a named hierarchical structure
 Allow you to turn on logging for specific parts of your
application
 Hierarchies are defined like namespaces in .NET
◦ a.b.c
◦ System.Windows.Forms
 Turning on logging for a root category, turns on logging
for all children
 Root logger
◦ It always exists
◦ It cannot be retrieved by name
◦ It always has an assigned level
Log Levels
 5 log levels, plus two configuration options
◦ FATAL
◦ ERROR
◦ WARN
◦ INFO
◦ DEBUG
◦ ALL
◦ OFF
 Log levels are inclusive
◦ If log is set to INFO, all logs above that level (WARN, ERROR, and FATAL)
are also logged.
Code Example
 Getting Started
1. Add a reference to log4net
2. Add an XmlConfigurator attribute to your assembly
3. Add a log4net using statement
4. Get a static ILog member for your class using
LogManager.GetLogger()
5. Use the static ILog member to log
Appenders
 Appenders are the destination for the logs
 Ships with most appenders you will need
 Easy to write your own
 Multiple appenders can be attached to each logger
 Each appender can receive logs from multiple loggers

•AdoNetAppender
•AnsiColorTerminalAppender
•AspNetTraceAppender
•ColoredConsoleAppender
•ConsoleAppender
•EventLogAppender
•FileAppender
•LocalSyslogAppender
Logging Contexts
 Allows you to place data to be logged in a global,
thread, or event context
◦ log4net.GlobalContext
◦ log4net.ThreadContext
◦ log4net.ThreadLogicalContext
◦ log4net.Core.LoggingEvent

 log4net.ThreadContext.Properties["name"] = value;

 PatternLayout renders the value of a named property


using the %property{name} syntax.
 Context Stacks available
Code Example
 Logging Contexts
◦ Add item that you want to log across calls to the context
◦ Add %property to your configuration
Configuration
 Fully configurable programmatically
 Easier and more flexible to use XML configuration
files
 Several ways to specify configuration file
◦ Application config file ( AssemblyName.config or web.config )
◦ XmlConfiguratorAttribute on the assembly
◦ XmlConfigurator.Configure( filename )
◦ XmlConfigurator.ConfigureAndWatch( filename )
Configuration Example
 Specify config file in Code
◦ Add using log4net.Config
◦ Add XmlConfigurator.ConfigureAndWatch
 A simple configuration example
 <Logger>
 <root>
 <appender>
Layouts
 Allows customization of the output format
 PatternLayout most commonly used
◦ %timestamp [%thread] %-5level %logger - %message%newline
◦ 176 [main] INFO Com.Foo.Bar - Located nearest gas station.
 See docs for other layouts including Xml, Simple and
Exception layouts.
Filters
 Allow appenders to filter messages delivered to them
 Allows fine control when events are logged to multiple
appenders
 LevelRangeFilter most often used
 Several Filters available

◦ log4net.Filter.DenyAllFilter
◦ log4net.Filter.LevelMatchFilter
◦ log4net.Filter.LevelRangeFilter
◦ log4net.Filter.LoggerMatchFilter
◦ log4net.Filter.PropertyFilter
◦ log4net.Filter.StringMatchFilter
Configuration Example
 <layout>
 <filter>
Object Renderers
 log4net renders objects using their ToString() method
 If you want more control over that, you can create
and use your own renderer
 Derive from IObjectRenderer interface
Best Practices
 Logging is only useful if you use it
 Two styles of logging
◦ Logging by software component
◦ Logging by functional area
 Log all exceptions, not just their message strings
 Use the format logging methods where appropriate
 Short circuit expensive logging with the various Is…Enabled properties
 Advice on Log Levels
◦ FATAL - For very serious errors that may crash the program
◦ ERROR - For errors that may corrupt data or cause improper program behaviour
◦ WARN - For errors that have been handled but that developers may want to track
◦ INFO - Non-verbose logging of program execution
startup of sub-systems,
timings,
remoting calls, etc.
Not for verbose output or within loops that may slow down the program.
◦ DEBUG – For verbose or low level debugging information
mainly used to help the developer debug the system
can be used in loops, for dumping data, detailed program flow, etc.
Links
 log4net - http://logging.apache.org/log4net/
◦ Download
◦ Config Examples
◦ FAQ
◦ SDK Reference
◦ Manual
 My blog - http://www.alteridem.net
 O’Reilly – Using log4net
http://www.ondotnet.com/pub/a/dotnet/2003/06/16/log4net.html
Q&A
Rob Prouse
[email protected]
http://www.alteridem.net

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