log4net....separate log files

Question

I am going to write out a separate log for each time I do a certain process in my WCF service. I have a standard log for the entire application already using log4net. Should I just add an appender and filter for the particular process, then remove it? This process deals with processing a file that was uploaded. Any other ideas???

Answer 1

I'ved do something similiar before, we used code something like this:

Ollie

 class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        log4net.Config.BasicConfigurator.Configure();

        var file = Path.Combine(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), Guid.NewGuid() + ".log");
        var log = InitialiseLogToFile(file);
        log.Info("Made it here!");
        log.Error("Made it here!");

        var file2 = Path.Combine(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), Guid.NewGuid() + ".log");
        var log2 = InitialiseLogToFile(file2);
        log2.Info("Made it here!");
        log2.Error("Made it here!");
    }

    public static ILog InitialiseLogToFile(string file)
    {
        LogManager.ResetConfiguration();
        var hierarchy = (Hierarchy)LogManager.GetLoggerRepository();

        var patternLayout = new PatternLayout();
        patternLayout.ConversionPattern = "%d [%t] %-5p %c [%x] - %m%n";
        patternLayout.ActivateOptions();

        var appender = new FileAppender {File = file, AppendToFile = true, Layout = patternLayout};
        appender.ActivateOptions();

        var logger = (Logger)hierarchy.GetLogger(file);
        logger.AddAppender(appender);
        hierarchy.Configured = true;

        return LogManager.GetLogger(file);
    }
}

Answer 2

Okay how about the you create a custom implementation of the ILog interface that also implements IDisposable - you add the appender when it's created and remove it when it's disposed...

eg.

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        log4net.Config.BasicConfigurator.Configure();

        var file = Path.Combine(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), Guid.NewGuid() + ".log");
        using (var log = new CustomFileLogger(file))
        {
            // Process file...
            log.Info("file: Made it here!");
            log.Error("file: Made it here!");
        }

        var file2 = Path.Combine(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory(), Guid.NewGuid() + ".log");
        using (var log = new CustomFileLogger(file2))
        {
            // Process file...
            log.Info("file2: Made it here!");
            log.Error("file2: Made it here!");
        }
    }
}

public sealed class CustomFileLogger : ILog, IDisposable
{
    private ILog _log;
    private FileAppender _appender;
    private string _file;

    public CustomFileLogger(string file)
    {
        _file = file;

        var hierarchy = (Hierarchy)LogManager.GetRepository();
        hierarchy.Configured = false;

        var patternLayout = new PatternLayout();
        patternLayout.ConversionPattern = "%d [%t] %-5p %c [%x] - %m%n";
        patternLayout.ActivateOptions();

        var appender = new FileAppender { File = file, AppendToFile = true, Layout = patternLayout };
        appender.ActivateOptions();

        var logger = (Logger)hierarchy.GetLogger(file);
        logger.AddAppender(appender);

        hierarchy.Configured = true;
        _log = LogManager.GetLogger(file);
    }

    public ILogger Logger
    {
        get { return _log.Logger; }
    }

    public void Dispose()
    {
        var hierarchy = (Hierarchy)LogManager.GetRepository();
        hierarchy.Configured = false;

        var logger = (Logger)hierarchy.GetLogger(_file);
        logger.RemoveAppender(_appender);

        hierarchy.Configured = false;


        _appender = null;
        _log = null;
        _file = null;
    }

    public void Debug(object message)
    {
        _log.Debug(message);
    }

    public void Debug(object message, Exception exception)
    {
        _log.Debug(message, exception);
    }

    public void DebugFormat(string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.DebugFormat(format, args);
    }

    public void DebugFormat(string format, object arg0)
    {
        _log.DebugFormat(format, arg0);
    }

    public void DebugFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1)
    {
        _log.DebugFormat(format, arg0, arg1);
    }

    public void DebugFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1, object arg2)
    {
        _log.DebugFormat(format, arg0, arg1, arg2);
    }

    public void DebugFormat(IFormatProvider provider, string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.DebugFormat(provider, format, args);
    }

    public void Info(object message)
    {
        _log.Info(message);
    }

    public void Info(object message, Exception exception)
    {
        _log.Info(message, exception);
    }

    public void InfoFormat(string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.InfoFormat(format, args);
    }

    public void InfoFormat(string format, object arg0)
    {
        _log.InfoFormat(format, arg0);
    }

    public void InfoFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1)
    {
        _log.InfoFormat(format, arg0, arg1);
    }

    public void InfoFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1, object arg2)
    {
        _log.InfoFormat(format, arg0, arg1, arg2);
    }

    public void InfoFormat(IFormatProvider provider, string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.InfoFormat(provider, format, args);
    }

    public void Warn(object message)
    {
        _log.Warn(message);
    }

    public void Warn(object message, Exception exception)
    {
        _log.Warn(message, exception);
    }

    public void WarnFormat(string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.WarnFormat(format, args);
    }

    public void WarnFormat(string format, object arg0)
    {
        _log.WarnFormat(format, arg0);
    }

    public void WarnFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1)
    {
        _log.WarnFormat(format, arg0, arg1);
    }

    public void WarnFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1, object arg2)
    {
        _log.WarnFormat(format, arg0, arg1, arg2);
    }

    public void WarnFormat(IFormatProvider provider, string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.WarnFormat(provider, format, args);
    }

    public void Error(object message)
    {
        _log.Error(message);
    }

    public void Error(object message, Exception exception)
    {
        _log.Error(message, exception);
    }

    public void ErrorFormat(string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.ErrorFormat(format, args);
    }

    public void ErrorFormat(string format, object arg0)
    {
        _log.ErrorFormat(format, arg0);
    }

    public void ErrorFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1)
    {
        _log.ErrorFormat(format, arg0, arg1);
    }

    public void ErrorFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1, object arg2)
    {
        _log.ErrorFormat(format, arg0, arg1, arg2);
    }

    public void ErrorFormat(IFormatProvider provider, string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.ErrorFormat(provider, format, args);
    }

    public void Fatal(object message)
    {
        _log.Fatal(message);
    }

    public void Fatal(object message, Exception exception)
    {
        _log.Fatal(message, exception);
    }

    public void FatalFormat(string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.FatalFormat(format, args);
    }

    public void FatalFormat(string format, object arg0)
    {
        _log.FatalFormat(format, arg0);
    }

    public void FatalFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1)
    {
        _log.FatalFormat(format, arg0, arg1);
    }

    public void FatalFormat(string format, object arg0, object arg1, object arg2)
    {
        _log.FatalFormat(format, arg0, arg1, arg2);
    }

    public void FatalFormat(IFormatProvider provider, string format, params object[] args)
    {
        _log.FatalFormat(provider, format, args);
    }

    public bool IsDebugEnabled
    {
        get { return _log.IsDebugEnabled; }
    }

    public bool IsInfoEnabled
    {
        get { return _log.IsInfoEnabled; }
    }

    public bool IsWarnEnabled
    {
        get { return _log.IsWarnEnabled; }
    }

    public bool IsErrorEnabled
    {
        get { return _log.IsErrorEnabled; }
    }

    public bool IsFatalEnabled
    {
        get { return _log.IsFatalEnabled; }
    }
}

Answer 3

You can do this quite easily, but it means tying yourself to a specific implementation rather than the interfaces. For example:

log4net.ILog log = log4net.LogManager.GetLogger(loggerName);
log4net.Repository.Hierarchy.Logger logImpl = log.Logger as log4net.Repository.Hierarchy.Logger;
if (logImpl != null)
    logImpl.AddAppender(uploadLogAppender);
else {
    // unexpected logger type - handle this case somehow
}
ProcessUpload(); // does logging
if (logImpl != null)
    logImpl.RemoveAppender(uploadLogAppender);

As the appender is present only while ProcessUpload runs, this should give you the effect you need. uploadLogAppender is just a FileAppender instance with a filename determined by you, say on a per-upload basis.