# Class LogFactory

java.lang.Object
org.apache.juli.logging.LogFactory

public class LogFactory extends Object
This is a modified LogFactory that uses a simple `ServiceLoader` based discovery mechanism with a default of using JDK based logging. An implementation that uses the full Commons Logging discovery mechanism is available as part of the Tomcat extras download.

Why? It is an attempt to strike a balance between simpler code (no discovery) and providing flexibility - particularly for those projects that embed Tomcat or some of Tomcat's components - is an alternative logging implementation is desired.

Note that this implementation is not just a wrapper around JDK logging (like the original commons-logging impl). It adds 2 features - a simpler configuration (which is in fact a subset of log4j.properties) and a formatter that is less ugly.

The removal of 'abstract' preserves binary backward compatibility. It is possible to preserve the abstract - and introduce another (hardcoded) factory - but I see no benefit.

Since this class is not intended to be extended - all protected methods are removed. This can be changed - but again, there is little value in keeping dead code. Just take a quick look at the removed code ( and it's complexity).

Original comment:

Factory for creating `Log` instances, with discovery and configuration features similar to that employed by standard Java APIs such as JAXP.

IMPLEMENTATION NOTE - This implementation is heavily based on the SAXParserFactory and DocumentBuilderFactory implementations (corresponding to the JAXP pluggability APIs) found in Apache Xerces.

Author:
  Craig R. McClanahan, Costin Manolache, Richard A. Sitze

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `static LogFactory`
  `getFactory()`
  Construct (if necessary) and return a `LogFactory` instance, using the following ordered lookup procedure to determine the name of the implementation class to be loaded.
  `Log`
  `getInstance(Class<?> clazz)`
  Convenience method to derive a name from the specified class and call `getInstance(String)` with it.
  `Log`
  `getInstance(String name)`
  Construct (if necessary) and return a `Log` instance, using the factory's current set of configuration attributes.
  `static Log`
  `getLog(Class<?> clazz)`
  Convenience method to return a named logger, without the application having to care about factories.
  `static Log`
  `getLog(String name)`
  Convenience method to return a named logger, without the application having to care about factories.
  `static void`
  `release(ClassLoader classLoader)`
  Release any internal references to previously created `LogFactory` instances that have been associated with the specified class loader (if any), after calling the instance method `release()` on each of them.

  ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

  `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- ## Method Details

  - ### getInstance

    public Log getInstance(String name) throws LogConfigurationException

    Construct (if necessary) and return a `Log` instance, using the factory's current set of configuration attributes.

    NOTE - Depending upon the implementation of the `LogFactory` you are using, the `Log` instance you are returned may or may not be local to the current application, and may or may not be returned again on a subsequent call with the same name argument.

    Parameters:
      `name` - Logical name of the `Log` instance to be returned (the meaning of this name is only known to the underlying logging implementation that is being wrapped)
    Returns:
      A log instance with the requested name
    Throws:
      `LogConfigurationException` - if a suitable `Log` instance cannot be returned

  - ### getInstance

    public Log getInstance(Class<?> clazz) throws LogConfigurationException
    Convenience method to derive a name from the specified class and call `getInstance(String)` with it.
    Parameters:
      `clazz` - Class for which a suitable Log name will be derived
    Returns:
      A log instance with a name of clazz.getName()
    Throws:
      `LogConfigurationException` - if a suitable `Log` instance cannot be returned

  - ### getFactory

    public static LogFactory getFactory() throws LogConfigurationException

    Construct (if necessary) and return a `LogFactory` instance, using the following ordered lookup procedure to determine the name of the implementation class to be loaded.

    - The `org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory` system property.
    - The JDK 1.3 Service Discovery mechanism
    - Use the properties file `commons-logging.properties` file, if found in the class path of this class. The configuration file is in standard `java.util.Properties` format and contains the fully qualified name of the implementation class with the key being the system property defined above.
    - Fall back to a default implementation class (`org.apache.commons.logging.impl.LogFactoryImpl`).

    NOTE - If the properties file method of identifying the `LogFactory` implementation class is utilized, all of the properties defined in this file will be set as configuration attributes on the corresponding `LogFactory` instance.

    Returns:
      The singleton LogFactory instance
    Throws:
      `LogConfigurationException` - if the implementation class is not available or cannot be instantiated.

  - ### getLog

    public static Log getLog(Class<?> clazz) throws LogConfigurationException
    Convenience method to return a named logger, without the application having to care about factories.
    Parameters:
      `clazz` - Class from which a log name will be derived
    Returns:
      A log instance with a name of clazz.getName()
    Throws:
      `LogConfigurationException` - if a suitable `Log` instance cannot be returned

  - ### getLog

    public static Log getLog(String name) throws LogConfigurationException
    Convenience method to return a named logger, without the application having to care about factories.
    Parameters:
      `name` - Logical name of the `Log` instance to be returned (the meaning of this name is only known to the underlying logging implementation that is being wrapped)
    Returns:
      A log instance with the requested name
    Throws:
      `LogConfigurationException` - if a suitable `Log` instance cannot be returned

  - ### release

    public static void release(ClassLoader classLoader)
    Release any internal references to previously created `LogFactory` instances that have been associated with the specified class loader (if any), after calling the instance method `release()` on each of them.
    Parameters:
      `classLoader` - ClassLoader for which to release the LogFactory