Log4j programmatically setting SMTP settings is no

Question

I'm using Log4j to send email logs on errors, and want to set the SMTP settings in log4j in java, and not in a properties file. Setting the password works, and i can successfully send an email with it

private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger("emailer");

(...)

Enumeration<?> enm = logger.getAllAppenders();
while (enm.hasMoreElements()) {
    Object element = enm.nextElement();
    if (element instanceof SMTPAppender) {
        ((SMTPAppender) element).setSMTPPassword(password);
    }
}

However, using the other setters in SMTPAppender does nothing ( setting host, username, etc. ), and log4j will keep using the properties file's settings.

(...)

log4j.logger.emailer=stdout, email
log4j.additivity.emailer=false

log4j.appender.email=org.apache.log4j.net.SMTPAppender
log4j.appender.email.SMTPHost=smtp.gmail.com
log4j.appender.email.SMTPPort=465
log4j.appender.email.SMTPUsername=[e-mail]
log4j.appender.email.SMTPPassword=-
log4j.appender.email.From=[e-mail]
log4j.appender.email.to=[e-mail]
log4j.appender.email.Subject=Error Alert
log4j.appender.email.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
log4j.appender.email.layout.ConversionPattern=%d [%t] %-5p %c %x - %m%n
log4j.appender.email.BufferSize=10
log4j.appender.email.Threshold=ERROR

Answer 1

It looks like you need to call activateOptions() after you change the name or password.