When you define a file appender, you must specify how you want the contents of the file to be organized and formatted. Log4j® provides several types of layouts for file appenders, including Pattern, HTML, and XML layouts. Each of these layouts has the following advantages and disadvantages:
Comparison of File Appender Layouts
Layout |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Provides easy control over content and organization of log file |
•Limited control over output •Difficult to parse for specific information |
|
•Requires no configuration or formatting •Output is clean, organized and easy to read |
•Fixed format •Difficult to parse for specific information |
|
Easiest output to parse for specific information using other software |
•Might require more configuration and design files to be created and implemented •More difficult to implement |
