Java logger that automatically determines caller's class name

Question

public static Logger getLogger() {
    final Throwable t = new Throwable();
    final StackTraceElement methodCaller = t.getStackTrace()[1];
    final Logger logger          


        

Answer 1

From reading through all the other feedback on this site, I created the following for use with Log4j:

package com.edsdev.testapp.util;

import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;

import org.apache.log4j.Level;
import org.apache.log4j.Priority;

public class Logger extends SecurityManager {

private static ConcurrentHashMap<String, org.apache.log4j.Logger> loggerMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<String, org.apache.log4j.Logger>();

public static org.apache.log4j.Logger getLog() {
    String className = new Logger().getClassName();
    if (!loggerMap.containsKey(className)) {
        loggerMap.put(className, org.apache.log4j.Logger.getLogger(className));
    }
    return loggerMap.get(className);
}
public String getClassName() {
    return getClassContext()[3].getName();
}
public static void trace(Object message) {
    getLog().trace(message);
}
public static void trace(Object message, Throwable t) {
    getLog().trace(message, t);
}
public static boolean isTraceEnabled() {
    return getLog().isTraceEnabled();
}
public static void debug(Object message) {
    getLog().debug(message);
}
public static void debug(Object message, Throwable t) {
    getLog().debug(message, t);
}
public static void error(Object message) {
    getLog().error(message);
}
public static void error(Object message, Throwable t) {
    getLog().error(message, t);
}
public static void fatal(Object message) {
    getLog().fatal(message);
}
public static void fatal(Object message, Throwable t) {
    getLog().fatal(message, t);
}
public static void info(Object message) {
    getLog().info(message);
}
public static void info(Object message, Throwable t) {
    getLog().info(message, t);
}
public static boolean isDebugEnabled() {
    return getLog().isDebugEnabled();
}
public static boolean isEnabledFor(Priority level) {
    return getLog().isEnabledFor(level);
}
public static boolean isInfoEnabled() {
    return getLog().isInfoEnabled();
}
public static void setLevel(Level level) {
    getLog().setLevel(level);
}
public static void warn(Object message) {
    getLog().warn(message);
}
public static void warn(Object message, Throwable t) {
    getLog().warn(message, t);
}

}

Now in your code all you need is

Logger.debug("This is a test");

or

Logger.error("Look what happened Ma!", e);

If you need more exposure to log4j methods, just delegate them from the Logger class listed above.

Answer 2

This mechanism puts in a lot of extra effort at runtime.

If you use Eclipse as your IDE, consider using Log4e. This handy plugin will generate logger declarations for you using your favourite logging framework. A fraction more effort at coding time, but much less work at runtime.

Answer 3

I prefer creating a (static) Logger for each class (with it's explicit class name). I than use the logger as is.