[logback-user] Just started playing with logback

[Rob Ross]

Hello.


I finally got around to downloading logback and playing with it. So  
far, it's been very easy to substitute it for log4j.

Let me say first that I think log4j is one of the best Java  
frameworks ever written, up there with JUnit. It does a specific job  
very well, with a very lightweight API and it is very easy to get  
started using it. It also has enough depth to be able to customize  
things when you need to customize them. So let me say you've done a  
very good job with log4j, and I'm sure logback will be even better.

I have a few comments for you. First, the log4j properties translator  
( http://logback.qos.ch/translator/Welcome.do ) does not quite work.  
Maybe it's based on an old version and is now out of date, but you  
should think about updating it. The file it produced did not  
translate my properties that I used in log4j.properties to specify  
the log file path into the equivalent substitutionProperty elements,  
and it did not translate the Levels I had set on the log4j appenders.  
It did wrap them in Threshold elements, but the current XML schema  
wants these specified in a "filter" element on the appender. Also, it  
did not translate the settings for the rolling file appender into the  
FileNamePattern element. However, the Joran configurator gave me  
detailed enough Exception messages that it was easy to determine what  
the problems were and fix them.

Also, on Chapter 3 of the current Logback documentation manual, when  
it discusses variable substitution it mentions  "Recursive  
Substitution." Well, if you re-read that section carefully I think  
you'll agree that this example is in fact NOT doing any kind of  
*recursion*, it is just using multiple variables. They are not even  
being nested. So I would suggest calling it something other than  
"recursion." The people that will read this manual are programmers,  
and we all know (or should know ) what recursion is, and I think this  
will just confuse people.

I also have a question about functionality. The only difference  
between log4j and logback that I have noticed so far is a different  
behavior between the way each will create the log file (for a  
FileAppender) if it does not yet exist. In log4j when I specified a  
full path, it would also create the directory for the log file if it  
did not already exist. Logback does not create the directory, it  
throws an exception. So I will have to add this to my Java code, but  
it smells a little fishy to have to configure where the logs are  
created in two different contexts, one in my application (by creating  
the directory), one in the logback configuration file.

Maybe you can give me a good reason for why this new way is better,  
or maybe it's just an oversight and it has not been implemented yet?

I was wondering what your thoughts were about this?

Thank you for your great work on creating some great logging  
frameworks that really provide useful functionality for Java programs!


Rob Ross, Lead Software Engineer
E! Networks

---------------------------------------------------
"Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his  
heart he dreams himself your master." -- Commissioner Pravin Lal