Using log4j.xml, log specific file or package at debug everything else at error

Question

I'd like to setup my log4j.xml file to log specific classes/packages at DEBUG level and the rest at ERROR level.

As you can see below I updated the logging level to info for gov.xxxx.app.batch.thread and gov.xxxx.app.batch.sms.DoWork to info.

However it looks like the threshold takes precedence (which makes sense). Is there a way to make it so that the class/package level config takes precedence over the threshold? Or another approach that would yield the desired result?

log4j.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE log4j:configuration SYSTEM "log4j.dtd">
<log4j:configuration>

        <appender name="console" class="org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender">
                <param name="threshold" value="all"/>
                <layout class="org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout">
                        <param name="conversionPattern" value="%d  %p  %c %L - %m%n"/>
                </layout>
        </appender>

        <appender name="logFile" class="org.apache.log4j.DailyRollingFileAppender">
                <param name="file" value="${app.batchdriver.home}/logs/${app.batchdriver.log.name}"/>
                <param name="maxFileSize" value="5MB"/>
                <param name="maxBackupIndex" value="20"/>
                <param name="threshold" value="error"/>

                <layout class="org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout">
                        <param name="conversionPattern" value="%d  %p  %c %L - %m%n"/>
                </layout>
        </appender>

        <!-- Logger for Batch classes -->
        <logger name="gov.xxxx.app">
                <level value="error"/>
        </logger>

        <!-- Logger for Spring classes -->
        <logger name="org.springframework">
                <level value="error"/>
        </logger>

        <!-- Logger for Hibernate classes -->
        <logger name="org.hibernate">
                <level value="error"/>
        </logger>

        <!-- Logger for Apache classes -->
        <logger name="org.apache">
                <level value="error"/>
        </logger>

        <!-- Logger for Apache classes -->
        <logger name="net.sf">
                <level value="error"/>
        </logger>

        <!-- Logger for testing Performance -->
        <logger name="gov.xxxx.app.batch.thread">
                <level value="info"/>
        </logger>
        <logger name="gov.xxxx.app.batch.sms.DoWork">
                <level value="info"/>
        </logger>
        <root>
                <priority value ="all" />
                <appender-ref ref="console"/>
                <appender-ref ref="logFile"/>
        </root>

</log4j:configuration>

Answer 1

If I understand your requirements correctly you want to log:

1. everything to console
2. errors to logFile + INFO logs from specific packages

If that is the case you need to do following:

1. remove threshold (or make it INFO) on logFile appender
2. remove <appender-ref ref="logFile"/> from root logger because root logger specifies "all" and you do not want that
3. add to all loggers which you want to see in logFile