Log4j2.xml not found but log4j2-test.xml is

Question

I'm upgrading from log4j 1.x to log4j 2, and have updated my log4j.xml configuration file to a new log4j2.xml configuration. I'm running maven, spring, and mule.

When running a test maven build, the log4j2.xml file is not being picked up. However, if I rename the file log4j2-test.xml, it gets picked up (for instance the console logger with a custom PatternLayout works correctly the second case, but in the first case the default config is used).

Why would log4j pick up the log4j2-test.xml but not the log4j2.xml?

Answer 1

Since log4j2-test.xml has a higher load precedence than log4j2.xml, you probably have another log4j2 configuration file somewhere on your classpath that's overriding your log4j2.xml. Try finding the location of which conf file is getting pulled by having the following code execute when you run your maven test build:

for (String confFile : Arrays.asList("/log4j2-test.xml", "/log4j2.yaml", "/log4j2.yml", "/log4j2.json", "/log4j2.jsn", "/log4j2.xml")) {
    URL resource = YourTestClass.class.getResource(confFile);
    if (resource != null) {
        System.out.format("found %s in: %s\n", confFile, resource.getFile());
    }
}