Apache logging services logo Apache log4j logo
Apache Log4j 2 ™

Log4j 2 API

Flow Tracing

The Logger class provides logging methods that are quite useful for following the execution path of applications. These methods generate logging events that can be filtered separately from other debug logging. Liberal use of these methods is encouraged as the output has been found to

  • aid in problem diagnosis in development without requiring a debug session
  • aid in problem diagnosis in production where no debugging is possible
  • help educate new developers in learning the application.

The most used methods are the entry() or traceEntry() and exit() or traceExit() methods. entry() or traceEntry() should be placed at the beginning of methods, except perhaps for simple getters and setters. entry() can be calledpassing from 0 to 4 parameters. Typically these will be parameters passed to the method. traceEntry() can be passed a format String and a variable list of parameters, or a Message. The entry() and traceEntry() methods log with a level of TRACE and uses a Marker with a name of "ENTER" which is also a "FLOW" Marker and all message strings will begin with "event", even if a format String or Message is used.

The main difference between the entry and traceEntry methods is that the entry method accepts a variable list of objects where presumably each is a method parameter. The traceEntry method accepts a format string followed by a variable list of objects, presumably included in the format String. It is not possible to have a single method that includes both of these as it would be ambiguous whether the first String is a parameter or a format String.

An exit() or traceExit() method should be placed before any return statement or as the last statement of methods without a return. exit() and traceExit() can be called with or without a parameter. Typically, methods that return void will use exit() or traceExit() while methods that return an Object will use exit(Object obj) or traceExit(object, new SomeMessage(object)). The exit() and traceExit() methods log with a level of TRACE and uses a Marker with a name of "EXIT" which is also a "FLOW" Marker and all message strings will begin with "exit", even if a format String or Message is used.

The throwing() method can be used by an application when it is throwing an exception that is unlikely to be handled, such as a RuntimeException. This will insure that proper diagnostics are available if needed. The logging event generated will have a level of ERROR and will have an associated Marker with a name of "THROWING" which is also an "EXCEPTION" Marker.

The catching() method can be used by an application when it catches an Exception that it is not going to rethrow, either explicitly or attached to another Exception. The logging event generated will have a level of ERROR and will have an associated Marker with a name of "CATCHING" which is also an "EXCEPTION" Marker.

The following example shows a simple application using these methods in a fairly typcial manner. The throwing() is not present since no Exceptions are explicitly thrown and not handled. 

package com.test;

import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;

import java.util.Random;

public class TestService {
    private Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger(TestService.class.getName());

    private String[] messages = new String[] {
        "Hello, World",
        "Goodbye Cruel World",
        "You had me at hello"
    };
    private Random rand = new Random(1);

    public void setMessages(String[] messages) {
        logger.traceEntry(new JsonMessage(messages));
        this.messages = messages;
        logger.traceExit();
    }

    public String[] getMessages() {
        logger.traceEntry();
        return logger.traceExit(messages, new JsonMessage(messages));
    }

    public String retrieveMessage() {
        logger.entry();

        String testMsg = getMessage(getKey());

        return logger.exit(testMsg);
    }

    public void exampleException() {
        logger.entry();
        try {
            String msg = messages[messages.length];
            logger.error("An exception should have been thrown");
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            logger.catching(ex);
        }
        logger.exit();
    }

    public String getMessage(int key) {
        logger.entry(key);

        String value = messages[key];

        return logger.exit(value);
    }

    private int getKey() {
        logger.entry();
        int key = rand.nextInt(messages.length);
        return logger.exit(key);
    }
}

This test application uses the preceding service to generate logging events. 

package com.test;

public class App {

    public static void main( String[] args ) {
        TestService service = new TestService();
        service.retrieveMessage();
        service.retrieveMessage();
        service.exampleException();
    }
}

The configuration below will cause all output to be routed to target/test.log. The pattern for the FileAppender includes the class name, line number and method name. Including these in the pattern are critical for the log to be of value. 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Configuration status="error">
  <Appenders>
    <Console name="Console" target="SYSTEM_OUT">
      <ThresholdFilter level="ERROR" onMatch="ACCEPT" onMismatch="DENY"/>
      <!-- Flow tracing is most useful with a pattern that shows location.
           Below pattern outputs class, line number and method name. -->
      <PatternLayout pattern="%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} %-5level %class{36} %L %M - %msg%xEx%n"/>
    </Console>
    <File name="log" fileName="target/test.log" append="false">
      <PatternLayout pattern="%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} %-5level %class{36} %L %M - %msg%xEx%n"/>
    </File>
  </Appenders>
  <Loggers>
    <Root level="trace">
      <AppenderRef ref="log"/>
    </Root>
  </Loggers>
</Configuration>

Here is the output that results from the Java classes and configuration above. 

19:08:07.056 TRACE com.test.TestService 19 retrieveMessage -  entry
19:08:07.060 TRACE com.test.TestService 46 getKey -  entry
19:08:07.060 TRACE com.test.TestService 48 getKey -  exit with (0)
19:08:07.060 TRACE com.test.TestService 38 getMessage -  entry parms(0)
19:08:07.060 TRACE com.test.TestService 42 getMessage -  exit with (Hello, World)
19:08:07.060 TRACE com.test.TestService 23 retrieveMessage -  exit with (Hello, World)
19:08:07.061 TRACE com.test.TestService 19 retrieveMessage -  entry
19:08:07.061 TRACE com.test.TestService 46 getKey -  entry
19:08:07.061 TRACE com.test.TestService 48 getKey -  exit with (1)
19:08:07.061 TRACE com.test.TestService 38 getMessage -  entry parms(1)
19:08:07.061 TRACE com.test.TestService 42 getMessage -  exit with (Goodbye Cruel World)
19:08:07.061 TRACE com.test.TestService 23 retrieveMessage -  exit with (Goodbye Cruel World)
19:08:07.062 TRACE com.test.TestService 27 exampleException -  entry
19:08:07.077 DEBUG com.test.TestService 32 exampleException - catching java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 3
        at com.test.TestService.exampleException(TestService.java:29) [classes/:?]
        at com.test.App.main(App.java:9) [classes/:?]
        at com.test.AppTest.testApp(AppTest.java:15) [test-classes/:?]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.executeMethodBody(TestMethodRunner.java:99) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.runUnprotected(TestMethodRunner.java:81) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.BeforeAndAfterRunner.runProtected(BeforeAndAfterRunner.java:34) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.runMethod(TestMethodRunner.java:75) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.run(TestMethodRunner.java:45) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassMethodsRunner.invokeTestMethod(TestClassMethodsRunner.java:66) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassMethodsRunner.run(TestClassMethodsRunner.java:35) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassRunner$1.runUnprotected(TestClassRunner.java:42) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.BeforeAndAfterRunner.runProtected(BeforeAndAfterRunner.java:34) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassRunner.run(TestClassRunner.java:52) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4TestSet.execute(JUnit4TestSet.java:35) [surefire-junit4-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.executeTestSet(JUnit4Provider.java:115) [surefire-junit4-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.invoke(JUnit4Provider.java:97) [surefire-junit4-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ProviderFactory$ClassLoaderProxy.invoke(ProviderFactory.java:103) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at $Proxy0.invoke(Unknown Source) [?:?]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.SurefireStarter.invokeProvider(SurefireStarter.java:150) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.SurefireStarter.runSuitesInProcess(SurefireStarter.java:91) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.main(ForkedBooter.java:69) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
19:08:07.087 TRACE com.test.TestService 34 exampleException -  exit

Simply changing the root logger level to DEBUG in the example above will reduce the output considerably. 

19:13:24.963 DEBUG com.test.TestService 32 exampleException - catching java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 3
        at com.test.TestService.exampleException(TestService.java:29) [classes/:?]
        at com.test.App.main(App.java:9) [classes/:?]
        at com.test.AppTest.testApp(AppTest.java:15) [test-classes/:?]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.executeMethodBody(TestMethodRunner.java:99) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.runUnprotected(TestMethodRunner.java:81) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.BeforeAndAfterRunner.runProtected(BeforeAndAfterRunner.java:34) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.runMethod(TestMethodRunner.java:75) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestMethodRunner.run(TestMethodRunner.java:45) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassMethodsRunner.invokeTestMethod(TestClassMethodsRunner.java:66) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassMethodsRunner.run(TestClassMethodsRunner.java:35) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassRunner$1.runUnprotected(TestClassRunner.java:42) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.BeforeAndAfterRunner.runProtected(BeforeAndAfterRunner.java:34) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.junit.internal.runners.TestClassRunner.run(TestClassRunner.java:52) [junit-4.3.1.jar:?]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4TestSet.execute(JUnit4TestSet.java:35) [surefire-junit4-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.executeTestSet(JUnit4Provider.java:115) [surefire-junit4-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.junit4.JUnit4Provider.invoke(JUnit4Provider.java:97) [surefire-junit4-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597) ~[?:1.6.0_29]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ProviderFactory$ClassLoaderProxy.invoke(ProviderFactory.java:103) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at $Proxy0.invoke(Unknown Source) [?:?]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.SurefireStarter.invokeProvider(SurefireStarter.java:150) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.SurefireStarter.runSuitesInProcess(SurefireStarter.java:91) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]
        at org.apache.maven.surefire.booter.ForkedBooter.main(ForkedBooter.java:69) [surefire-booter-2.7.2.jar:2.7.2]

Copyright © 1999-2017 The Apache Software Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Apache Logging, Apache Log4j, Log4j, Apache, the Apache feather logo, and the Apache Logging project logo are trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation.

Site powered by Twitter Bootstrap. Icons from Glyphicons Free.