Log4net - Does not create a log file

Question

I'm using log4net in order to create a log, but it doesn't do anything.

Here is the app.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8">
<configuration>
    <configSection>
        <section name="log4net" type="log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net" />
    </configSection>
    <log4net>
        <appender name="WriteToFile" type="log4net.Appender.FileAppender">
            <file value="log.txt" />
            <layout ="log4net.Layout.SimpleLayout" />
        </appender>
        <root>
            <level value="ALL" />
            <appender-ref ref="WriteToFile"/>
        </root>
    </log4net>
</configuration>

I have the following line in AssemblyInfo.cs:

[assembly: log4net.Config.XmlConfigur(ConfigFile ="App.config", Watch= true)]

Here is an attempt to write to the file:

private static readonly ILog log = log4net.LogManager.GetLogger(System.Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);

public void write()
{
    log.Info("Some text here");
}

And the following line:

log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator.Configure();

Answer 1

If this is an executable I suppose that your config file is not called App.config at the resulting bin folder but rather MyApp.exe.config. So you may try fixing this:

ConfigFile ="App.config"

You can also skip the config file name if you are using the default:

[assembly: log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator(Watch = true)]

Also make sure that the account you are running your application under has write permission to the folder in which you expect the log file to be written.

---

UPDATE:

Step by step guide:

1. Create a new Console Application
2. Install the log4net NuGet

3. Use the following in your App.config:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <configuration>
       <configSections>
           <section name="log4net" type="log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net" />
       </configSections>
       <log4net>
           <appender name="WriteToFile" type="log4net.Appender.FileAppender">
               <file value="log.txt" />
               <layout type="log4net.Layout.SimpleLayout" />
           </appender>
           <root>
               <level value="ALL" />
               <appender-ref ref="WriteToFile" />
           </root>
       </log4net>
   </configuration>
   

4. And in your Program.cs:

   using log4net;
   using System.Reflection;
   
   [assembly: log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator(Watch = true)]
   
   namespace ConsoleApplication1
   {
       class Program
       {
           private static readonly ILog log = LogManager.GetLogger(MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);
   
           static void Main(string[] args)
           {
               log.Info("Some text here");
           }
       }
   }
   

Answer 2

I have only been successful with log4net when I ran the static Configure method:

        log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator.Configure();

Wrapping it in one method below read default config for the application, be it web.config or app.config:

    private static void InitLogging()
    {
        log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator.Configure();
        _logger = Common.Logging.LogManager.GetLogger(typeof(Program));
        _logger.Debug("Logging initialized");
    }

It seems more elegant with an decorator attribute the way you are suggesting, but the above mentioned may be worth a try.