Where is the correct location to put Log4j.propert

Question

Where in my Eclipse project should I add the log4j.properties file so that it will work as intended?

Answer 1

The best way is to create special source folder named resources and use it for all resource including log4j.properties. So, just put it there.

On the Java Resources folder that was automatically created by the Dynamic Web Project, right click and add a new Source Folder and name it 'resources'. Files here will then be exported to the war file to the classes directory

Answer 2

I'm finding out that the location of the log4j.properties file depends on the type of Eclipse project.

Specifically, for an Eclipse Dynamic Web Project, most of the answers that involve adding the log4j.properties to the war file do not actually add the properties file in the correct location, especially for Tomcat/Apache.

Here is some of my research and my solution to the issue (again specifically for a Dynamic Web Project running on Tomcat/Apache 6.0)

• Please refer to this article around how Tomcat will load classes. It's different than the normal class loader for Java. (https://www.mulesoft.com/tcat/tomcat-classpath) Note that it only looks in two places in the war file, WEB-INF/classes and WEB-INF/lib.

• Note that with a Dynamic Web Project, it is not wise to store your .properties file in the build/../classes directory, as this directory is wiped whenever you clean-build your project.

• Tomcat does not handle .property files in the WEB-INF/lib location.

• You cannot store the log4j.properties file in the src directory, as Eclipse abstracts that directory away from your view.

• The one way I have found to resolve this is to alter the build and add an additional directory that will eventually load into the WEB-INF/classes directory in the war file. Specifically....

(1) Right click your project in the project explorer, select 'New'->'Folder'. You can name the folder anything, but the standard in this case is 'resources'. The new folder should appear at the root level of your project.

(2) Move the log4j.properties file into this new folder.

(3) Right click the project again, and select 'Build-Path'->'Configure Build Path'. Select the 'Sources' tab. Click the 'Add Folder' button. Browse to find your new folder you created in step (1) above. Select 'OK'.

(4) Once back to the eclipse Project Explorer view, note that the folder has now moved to the 'Java Resources' area (ie it's no longer at the root due to eclipse presentation abstraction).

(5) Clean build your project.

(6) To validate that the .properties file now exists in WEB-INF/classes in your war file, export a war file to an easy location (right click Project -> Export -> War file) and checkout the contents. Note that the log4j.properties file now appears in the WEB-INF/classes.

(7) Promote your project to Tomcat/Apache and note that log4j now works.

Now that log4j works, start logging, solve world problems, take some time off, and enjoy a tasty adult beverage.

Answer 3

You do not want to have the log4j.properties packaged with your project deployable -- that is a bad idea, as other posters have mentioned.

Find the root Tomcat installation that Eclipse is pointing to when it runs your application, and add the log4j.properties file in the proper place there. For Tomcat 7, the right place is

${TOMCAT_HOME}/lib

Answer 4

you can add it any where you want, when you run your project, configure the classpath and add the location of the log4j.properties files by clicking on: Run->Run Configuration -> [classpath tab] -> click on user Entries -> Advanced -> Select Add Folder -> select the location of your log4j.properties file

and then -> OK -> run

and it should get loaded