[Helma-user] log4j

[Robert Gaggl]

hi michi,

i'm using log4j together with chainsaw for development for a long time 
now (using a config similar to [1]), and i don't want to miss it. mainly 
because i can view all helma log messages (plus those of 
helmagroups/javagroups which we're using for several apps) in one 
logviewer application, and filter the messages in chainsaw as i want (no 
need for tail -f | grep anymore). and i don't have any logfiles on disk 
anymore.

> * If I start a new application in helma, then the default helma logger 
> automatically creates the according log-files. With log4j I would need 
> to add an extra file-appender to (a global) log4j.xml to start distinct 
> log-files.

yes, that's the major drawback - you would need to create a separate log 
appenders for every access/event/sql logfile of every application (in 
our only deployment setup utilizing log4j we're using generic 
access/event/sql appenders which are used by all applications). plus 
changing the log4j config doesn't have any effect during runtime, so you 
have to restart helma (at least i never was able to find a way to 
circumvent that). which imho makes it a no-go for helma deployment 
setups that change frequently.

> * With the default helma logger I can switch the log-level during 
> runtime by changing "debug" in app.properties. How can I tell Helma that 
> log4j.xml has been updated? (the same is true for logSQL=true)

afaik you can't.

> * I would like to use distinct log4j.xml files for each application, and 
> not have to share one global log4j.xml for the whole Helma installation. 
> Possible?

afaik not.

> * As far as I know gzipped logfiles are not possible within log4j 1.2.*, 
> but are an upcoming feature for 1.3.* This is not such a big issue, 
> since I could use a DailyRollingFileAppender in the meantime, and let 
> unix-logrotate do the gzipping.

yes, currently that's the only way to do it.

robert

[1] http://helma.org/docs/howtos/log4j/