[logback-dev] Logback Refactoring Ideas

[Gunnar Wagenknecht]

Greetings Logback developers,

I'm regularly packaging Logback OSGi bundles for Eclipse Orbit. The
other day I was wondering if the current core vs. classic split of
Logback is really useful for people, i.e. is anybody out there using
_just_ Logback core without any of the classic pieces?

For example, PatternLayout is classic but the file appenders are in
core. Isn't PatternLayout an essential logging element? Also, when an
issue in the XML/Groofvy configuration implementation is detected, a
full new release of core+classic is required. Wouldn't it be better if
the parts could evolve independent?

Thus, I was thinking of a more fine grained split based on functional
units. For example like this:

-> Logback Logging Essentials
All the essential logging related stuff form core+classic (logger,
levels, (turbo) filters, console appender, encoders, layouts, basic
configurator)

-> Logback SLF4J Logger
The native SLF4J logger.

-> Logback XML/Groovy Configuration Pack
The advanced configuration functionality based on Joran for XML + Groovy.

-> Logback File Logging Extension Pack
File appenders

-> Logback Web Extension Pack
Servlet integration, HTML appenders, etc.

-> Logback Enterprise Extension Pack
Advanced appenders (JMS, Database), JNDI stuff, etc.


There could be other extension packs as well. The challenge IMHO is to
collect all the essential things together for having a really small
Logback package that contains only the minimum required for logging (to
console and to files). Maybe the file logging package can be part of the
essential package.

Anyway, another important point is that the packages are released
independently, i.e. get their own version. Thus, when an issue in the
XML/Groovy configuration package is detected, no new release of the
essential pack is necessary.

There can still be joint releases of all packs together (for example, to
have a better brand recognition) - the "Logback 1.2" release. But in
this case, Logback 1.2 means essentials 1.0.4, slf4j-logger 1.0.1,
configs 1.2.0, file logging 1.1.24, etc.

Thoughts?

-Gunnar

-- 
Gunnar Wagenknecht
gunnar at wagenknecht.org
http://wagenknecht.org/