slf4j logging with jdk – how to enable debug?

Question

By default slf4j, when using with jdk (slf4j-jdk14-1.6.1.jar), does not log debug messages. How do I enable them?

I can’t find info neither in the official docs, the web or here on how to enable it.

I found some info on (failed though) creating a file in %JDK_HOME%/lib and defining the level there, in a config file. However, I would like to define the level at compile-/run-time so I can both run and debug my app from my IDE with different logging levels.

Isn’t there some environment variable I can set, or VM arg?

Solution 1

Why do you think it does not log DEBUG messages?

If you mean that your log.debug(String) logging calls do not end up in java.util.logging log files, then I guess you have to configure the logging.properties configuration file to allow log messages at FINE level.

If you do not want to mess with the global %JRE_HOME%/lib/logging.properties, then you can just pass in -Djava.util.logging.config.file=logging.properties on the command line - this will force the logging system to look for that configuration file in the current directory.

Or use some other (programmatic) way to configure java.util.logging, see below for tutorial.

This has nothing to do with configuring SLF4J; in fact, SLF4J does not have any configuration, everything is configured by simply swapping JAR files.

---

For your reference:

• JDK14LoggerAdapter
• Java Logging API tutorial

Solution 2

If you are using slf4j SimpleLogger implementation read this.

There you can see that simpleLogger use INFO as default log level. You can change it by using a system property. This is usefull for non-production evironments:

static {

    System.setProperty("org.slf4j.simpleLogger.defaultLogLevel", "trace");
}

Solution 3

You can add -Dorg.slf4j.simpleLogger.defaultLogLevel=debug to the VM options.

Solution 4

I just put my logging.properties file in my applications WEB-INF/classes file (or use the command line argument identified by Neeme Praks if you're not deploying in a war), and have the properties file open in eclipse so I can fine tune it to log the packages and at the level I'm interested in.

In the logging.properties file, you need to make sure that both the logger level and the handler level are set to the level you want. For example, if you want your output to go to the console, you need to have at least the following:

#logging.properties file contents

#Define handlers
handlers=java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler

#Set handler log level
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level=FINE

#Define your logger level
com.company.application.package.package.level=FINE

#Assign your handler to your logger
com.company.application.package.package.handlers=java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler

You mentioned the slf4j-jdk14-1.6.1.jar. This provides the slf4j binding to java.util.logging. You need to have that in your classpath, but make sure you also have the slf4j api (slf4j-api-1.7.12.jar) in your classpath as well.

I find the example logging.properties file in this link useful for creating a variety of loggers and handlers, to give you fine-grained control over what logs go to the console, and what logs go to a file:.

And here's the slf4j manual.

View more solutions