Clarify Java logging

[lukeis]

Originally reported on Google Code with ID 3103

Hi,

I'm using Selenium 2.15.0 and I have some difficulties to obtain a consistent logging
behavior. Some parts of Selenium (HtmlUnit dependencies) are using commons-logging,
while RemoteWebDriver in selenium-remote-driver use a JUL (java.util.logging) logger.

I can easily redirect commons-logging to slf4j using jcl-over-slf4j, then use the logging
framework of my choice, but it is much harder to redirect JUL as it is a base class
of the JDK (read http://www.slf4j.org/legacy.html#jul-to-slf4j).

Would you mind removing the use of JUL in RemoteWebDriver? It seems to be the only
place where logging is used anyway. In addition the method RemoteWebDriver#setLogLevel
is very strange because IMHO setting log level should be done from the outside of the
application (property or config file).
If you really need to log I suggest to define a single choice for all Selenium modules
+ dependencies and use an interface that allow to switch the implementation (use slf4j
or a custom interface if you like). Then add correct exclusions in poms to not have
commons-logging as a transitive dependency.

Thanks

Reported by glaurung.aubrane on 2011-12-21 14:53:00

[lukeis]

Reported by barancev on 2011-12-26 06:17:12

• Labels added: Component-WebDriver, Lang-Java

[lukeis]

Reported by dawagner on 2012-01-03 21:49:27

[lukeis]

Reported by berrada@google.com on 2012-01-27 17:00:37

[lukeis]

I second this too, i have had lots of learning experiences too when trying to control
logging coming from transitive dependencies such as commons httpclient library. I dealt
with this by specifically redirecting all Commons logging to log4j, and usnig the JUL
api to control java util logging (already two!), then control what I could from log4j.
That approach has generally worked for me, but I still think Selenium could provide
better control over logging with a centralized api, then give users some control using
that centralized api to turn logging levels (for stuff including transitive deps) to
different levels. So that users don't have to know which logging system is used by
which library, and deal with multiple logging systems

Reported by binod80 on 2012-09-13 13:53:02

[lukeis]

Issue 4950 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by barancev on 2013-01-20 18:49:45

[lukeis]

Reported by barancev on 2013-01-20 18:50:12

• Labels added: GettingInvolved

[lukeis]

I'm very interested in this feature too!
Using Selenium as a monitoring tool rather than a test tool, I end up having a Selenium
Server running 24/7 without any pretty logging option (today the server output in an
ever-growing log file that I need to rotate manually once in a while).
Switching the whole logging system to a single interface like slf4j would both allow
default behavior as well as letting users to use their own logging framework with their
specific configuration files.

Reported by gael.wogenstahl.nc on 2013-09-18 05:15:21