Delivered-To: cgu@qos.ch
From: "Brent Sprecher" <brent@servidium.com>
To: <java-logging-input@eng.sun.com>
Subject: Logging API concerns.
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 10:24:43 -0600
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400

Dear sir or madam,
 
As a current log4j user and developer, I feel the need to comment on the JRS47 logging API.
 
The company I work for has produced a Swing based GUI that leverages the power of log4j and provides developers with a sophisticated logging interface for managing log messages.
 
I am currently in the process of extending our application to plug into the JDK 1.4 beta java.util.logging package, and have frankly been quite dissapointed. A number of basic features that I have come to expect from a logging package are missing or poorly implemented.
 
In particular, the way that Level inheritance and Handler inheritance are implemented makes using this package awkward at best. At the very least, you should consider implementing Handler inheritance in the same fashion as log4j.
 
I also find it annoying that I have to use the log( ) method on a Logger object in order to pass an exception to be logged. Why is there no implementation such as severe(String msg, Throwable exception)?
 
The list could go on ... for example, the way properties files are used for configuration is very annoying ....
 
For a good summary of the issues with the java.util.logging package, I refer you to http://jakarta.apache.org/log4j/docs/critique.html. I agree with all of the points raised by this article, and would whole heartedly support including the log4j logging implementation in the JDK!
 
Sincerely,
 
Brent Sprecher
Product Engineer
Servidium Inc. (http://www.servidium.com)
(403) 263-3287