How to set up java logging using a properties file? (java.util.logging)

Question

I have a stupid java logging problem: I'm loading the logging configuration from my app configuration file - but it just doesn't log anything after reading the file (which looks pretty much like the examples you will find on the net except for the additional application configuration - removing this also doesn't help). The "initializing..." log line appears just fine, but the "starting app" and any further messages are neither logged to the console, nor is the logfile ever created. What am I missing here?

The Logger code looks like this:

... Logger log = Logger.getLogger("myApp"); log.setLevel(Level.ALL); log.info("initializing - trying to load configuration file ...");  Properties preferences = new Properties(); try {     FileInputStream configFile = new FileInputStream("/path/to/app.properties");     preferences.load(configFile);     LogManager.getLogManager().readConfiguration(configFile); } catch (IOException ex) {     System.out.println("WARNING: Could not open configuration file");     System.out.println("WARNING: Logging not configured (console output only)"); } log.info("starting myApp"); ... 

And this is the configuration file:

appconfig1 = foo appconfig2 = bar  # Logging handlers = java.util.logging.FileHandler, java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler .level = ALL  # File Logging java.util.logging.FileHandler.pattern = %h/myApp.log java.util.logging.FileHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter java.util.logging.FileHandler.level = INFO  # Console Logging java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = ALL 

Answer 1

you can set your logging configuration file through command line:

$ java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=/path/to/app.properties MainClass

this way seems cleaner and easier to maintain.

Answer 2

Okay, first intuition is here:

handlers = java.util.logging.FileHandler, java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler .level = ALL 

The Java prop file parser isn't all that smart, I'm not sure it'll handle this. But I'll go look at the docs again....

In the mean time, try:

handlers = java.util.logging.FileHandler java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = ALL 

---

Update

No, duh, needed more coffee. Nevermind.

While I think more, note that you can use the methods in Properties to load and print a prop-file: it might be worth writing a minimal program to see what java thinks it reads in that file.

---

Another update

This line:

    FileInputStream configFile = new FileInputStream("/path/to/app.properties")); 

has an extra end-paren. It won't compile. Make sure you're working with the class file you think you are.