java - Log4j: How to configure simplest possible file logging?

Question

My story:

I want to make a thing which is as simple as a simplest possible log4j logger that logs rows to a file. I have found several examples with some functionality, but not a basic, general one that really works, and not one with an explanation how the each row work.

Question:

Could anybody provide one?

Prerequisites:

• I already know where to put the file and I have the log4j configured and working for console logging.
  
• Now I want to log to a file and also find the file from file system once the program has run.
  
• Rows needed to be added to the existing log4j.properties file are the desired output.

Answer 1

I have one generic log4j.xml file for you:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE log4j:configuration SYSTEM "log4j.dtd" >
<log4j:configuration debug="false">

    <appender name="default.console" class="org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender">
        <param name="target" value="System.out" />
        <param name="threshold" value="debug" />
        <layout class="org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout">
            <param name="ConversionPattern" value="%d{ISO8601} %-5p [%c{1}] - %m%n" />
        </layout>
    </appender>

    <appender name="default.file" class="org.apache.log4j.FileAppender">
        <param name="file" value="/log/mylogfile.log" />
        <param name="append" value="false" />
        <param name="threshold" value="debug" />
        <layout class="org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout">
            <param name="ConversionPattern" value="%d{ISO8601} %-5p [%c{1}] - %m%n" />
        </layout>
    </appender>

    <appender name="another.file" class="org.apache.log4j.FileAppender">
        <param name="file" value="/log/anotherlogfile.log" />
        <param name="append" value="false" />
        <param name="threshold" value="debug" />
        <layout class="org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout">
            <param name="ConversionPattern" value="%d{ISO8601} %-5p [%c{1}] - %m%n" />
        </layout>
    </appender>

    <logger name="com.yourcompany.SomeClass" additivity="false">
        <level value="debug" />
        <appender-ref ref="another.file" />
    </logger>

    <root>
        <priority value="info" />
        <appender-ref ref="default.console" />
        <appender-ref ref="default.file" />
    </root>
</log4j:configuration>

with one console, two file appender and one logger poiting to the second file appender instead of the first.

EDIT

In one of the older projects I have found a simple log4j.properties file:

# For the general syntax of property based configuration files see
# the documentation of org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator.

# The root category uses two appenders: default.out and default.file.
# The first one gathers all log output, the latter only starting with 
# the priority INFO.
# The root priority is DEBUG, so that all classes can be logged unless 
# defined otherwise in more specific properties.
log4j.rootLogger=DEBUG, default.out, default.file

# System.out.println appender for all classes
log4j.appender.default.out=org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender
log4j.appender.default.out.threshold=DEBUG
log4j.appender.default.out.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
log4j.appender.default.out.layout.ConversionPattern=%-5p %c: %m%n

log4j.appender.default.file=org.apache.log4j.FileAppender
log4j.appender.default.file.append=true
log4j.appender.default.file.file=/log/mylogfile.log
log4j.appender.default.file.threshold=INFO
log4j.appender.default.file.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
log4j.appender.default.file.layout.ConversionPattern=%-5p %c: %m%n

For the description of all the layout arguments look here: log4j PatternLayout arguments