log4net: using more than one log level with the same appender configuration

Question

Hello everyone!

A couple of weeks ago I've discovered log4net and I couldn't be happier with my initial results. So far I've been using the factory settings (BasicConfigurator.Configure()), but now I feel like going a step further and trying some customized configurations.

I've wrestled my way to make the application read the configuration file and whatnot and actually I'm having decent results but I was wondering how should I enable the remaining logging levels? (namely DEBUG, WARN, ERROR) I've tried adding all of them inside the <root> element but it doesn't work.

Currently I'm using the following configuration file:

<appender name="Console" type="log4net.Appender.ColoredConsoleAppender">

  <mapping>
    <level value="DEBUG" />
    <foreColor value="White" />
    <backColor value="Blue" />
  </mapping>

  <mapping>
    <level value="INFO" />
    <foreColor value="White" />
    <backColor value="Green" />
  </mapping>

  <mapping>
    <level value="WARN" />
    <foreColor value="White" />
    <backColor value="Yellow" />
  </mapping>

  <mapping>
    <level value="ERROR" />
    <foreColor value="White" />
    <backColor value="Red" />
  </mapping>

  <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
    <conversionPattern value="%date [%thread] %-5level %logger [%property{NDC}] - %message%newline" />
  </layout>

</appender>

<root>
  <appender-ref ref="Console" />
</root>

If any of you guys would kindly go ahead and point what I'm missing I'd be a really happy programmer today. Thanks much in advance for all your feedback!

UPDATE: not specifying a log level (<level value="INFO" />) solves the problem as log4net will enable all of them by default.

Answer 1

Specifying a level on a logger (root or other) will enable all messages from that level and down. Specifying INFO will enable, INFO, WARN, ERROR and FATAL. DEBUG messages will be excluded since that is a higher level than INFO.