java.util.Logging configuration...

[Alan Wanwierd]

I've finally got fed up of the crappy inefficient "SystemOut" logging implemented by others around here and decided to overhaul ALL our logging with 'propper' java.util.Logging.

However, I'm getting confused about how to configure stuff to get what I want!

My code has sections like this:

 
        // Logging
private static Logger logger = null;
private static final String className = "au.com.mycompany.MyClass";
        private static final String fileName = "FunctionalArea1.log"
static {
try{
FileHandler handler = new FileHandler(fileName);
trcLogger = Logger.getLogger(className);
trcLogger.addHandler(handler);
}catch(Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
}
}   

with logging calls throughout that are like this:

 
logger.log(Level.INFO, "Doing something interesting...");   

At first this looked to be working ok... I was getting log files created for each of my various functional areas and they ARE being populated with the information. BUT - I have 2 problems:
1) The data is in XML format rather than just simple text, and
2) I get multiple versions of the log file (one for each calling class it seems)...

I looked at my logging.properties file in the following location that I assumed to be the relevant one for my local instance of WAS6 within my RAD6 IDE:
"C:\Program Files\IBM\Rational\SDP\6.0\runtimes\base_v6\java\jre\lib\logging.properties"

..and found that I already have file handlers configured (I think) to use the Simple formatter...

am I missing something - Is there a way I can get my logs to append rather than create new files?

#
# @(#)src/lib/sov/logging.properties, ras, as142, 20040916atmp 1.5.2.1
# ===========================================================================
# Licensed Materials - Property of IBM
# "Restricted Materials of IBM"
#
# IBM SDK, Java(tm) 2 Technology Edition, v1.4.2
# (C) Copyright IBM Corp. 1998, 2002. All Rights Reserved
# ===========================================================================
#
 
############################################################
#  Default Logging Configuration File
#
# You can use a different file by specifying a filename
# with the java.util.logging.config.file system property.  
# For example java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=myfile
############################################################
 
############################################################
#  Global properties
############################################################
 
# "handlers" specifies a comma separated list of log Handler 
# classes.  These handlers will be installed during VM startup.
# Note that these classes must be on the system classpath.
# By default we only configure a ConsoleHandler, which will only
# show messages at the INFO and above levels.
#handlers= java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
 
# To also add the FileHandler, use the following line instead.
handlers= java.util.logging.FileHandler, java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
 
# Default global logging level.
# This specifies which kinds of events are logged across
# all loggers.  For any given facility this global level
# can be overriden by a facility specific level
# Note that the ConsoleHandler also has a separate level
# setting to limit messages printed to the console.
.level = ALL
 
############################################################
# Handler specific properties.
# Describes specific configuration info for Handlers.
############################################################
 
# default file output is in user's home directory.
java.util.logging.FileHandler.pattern = %h/java%u.log
java.util.logging.FileHandler.limit = 50000
java.util.logging.FileHandler.count = 1
java.util.logging.FileHandler.level = ALL
java.util.logging.FileHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
 
# Limit the message that are printed on the console to INFO and above.
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = SEVERE
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
 

############################################################
# Facility specific properties.
# Provides extra control for each logger.
############################################################
 
# For example, set the com.xyz.foo logger to only log SEVERE
# messages:
com.xyz.foo.level = SEVERE