Can't load Log4Net configuration

Question

I have a brand new console application in vb.net. I want to use log4net so I did the following steps and it works. Great. Yahoo.

But I have to place Log4Net.config in bin/debug together with Log4Net.dll and Log4Net.xml. I have tried many things but no joy. Or I haven't got to a right combination. How can I move Log4Net.config to app root?

Installed Log4Net from NuGet.

I added

<Assembly: XmlConfigurator(ConfigFile:="Log4Net.config", Watch:=True)> 

in AssemblyInfo.vb.

This is how I am calling it:

Public Class Class1

'Save log4net log into SQL Server
Private Shared ReadOnly DBlog As ILog = LogManager.GetLogger("TestLog4Net")

Public Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)

    DBlog.Error("Log4Net testing v1")

End Sub

End Class

My Log4Net.Config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="log4net" type="log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net" />
  </configSections>
  <log4net>

    <appender name="AdoNetAppender" type="log4net.Appender.AdoNetAppender">
      <bufferSize value="1" />
      <connectionType value="System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />

      <connectionString value="xxxxx" />
      <commandText value="xxxxx" />
      <parameter>
        <parameterName value="@log_date" />
        <dbType value="DateTime" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.RawTimeStampLayout" />
      </parameter>
      <parameter>
        <parameterName value="@thread" />
        <dbType value="String" />
        <size value="255" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
          <conversionPattern value="%thread" />
        </layout>
      </parameter>
      <parameter>
        <parameterName value="@log_level" />
        <dbType value="String" />
        <size value="50" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
          <conversionPattern value="%level" />
        </layout>
      </parameter>
      <parameter>
        <parameterName value="@logger" />
        <dbType value="String" />
        <size value="255" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
          <conversionPattern value="%logger" />
        </layout>
      </parameter>
      <parameter>
        <parameterName value="@message" />
        <dbType value="String" />
        <size value="4000" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
          <conversionPattern value="%message" />
        </layout>
      </parameter>
      <parameter>
        <parameterName value="@exception" />
        <dbType value="String" />
        <size value="2000" />
        <layout type="log4net.Layout.ExceptionLayout" />
      </parameter>
    </appender>

    <logger name="TestLog4Net">
      <level value="ALL" />
      <appender-ref ref="AdoNetAppender" />
    </logger>

  </log4net>
</configuration>

I have tried

to set the following line before I say DBlog.Error("xx")

log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator.Configure()

to set this in app.config.

<log4net configSource="Log4Net.config" />

to move the whole Log4Net.config to app.config. That didn't work.

to set this as someone suggested on one post. That didn't work either.

<appSettings>
    <add key="log4net.Config" value="log4net.config"/>
    <add key="log4net.Config.Watch" value="True"/>
</appSettings>

to declare this instead of the GetLogger("name") that I am using. No joy either.

Private Shared ReadOnly log As ILog = LogManager.GetLogger(System.Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType)

Answer 1

In my C# console application I have the following:

AssemblyInfo.cs

[assembly: log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator(Watch = true)]

App.Config

  <configSections>
    <section name="log4net" type="log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net"/>
  </configSections>


 <log4net>
    <!--
  This writes the log information to the console window.  It only logs events
  that are at least at the INFO level (which would mean that DEBUG events are not
  captured.
  -->
    <appender name="ConsoleAppender" type="log4net.Appender.ConsoleAppender">
      <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
        <conversionPattern value="%date{ABSOLUTE} [%thread] %level %logger - %message%newlineExtra Info: %property{testProperty}%newline%exception"/>
      </layout>
      <filter type="log4net.Filter.LevelRangeFilter">
        <levelMin value="INFO"/>
        <levelMax value="FATAL"/>
      </filter>
    </appender>
    <!--
  This stores information in the mylogfile.txt file.  It only captures log events
  that contain the key word test or error.
  -->
    <appender name="RollingFileAppender" type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
      <file value="Logs/file-"/>
      <datePattern value="yyyy-MM-dd.lo\g"/>
      <appendToFile value="true"/>
      <rollingStyle value="Date"/>
      <maxSizeRollBackups value="5"/>
      <maximumFileSize value="10MB"/>
      <staticLogFileName value="false"/>
      <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
        <conversionPattern value="%date [%thread] %level %logger - %message%newline%exception"/>
      </layout>
    </appender>
    <root>
      <level value="ALL"/>
      <appender-ref ref="RollingFileAppender"/>
      <appender-ref ref="ConsoleAppender"/>
    </root>
  </log4net>

within my classes, I have..

private static readonly log4net.ILog Log = log4net.LogManager.GetLogger(System.Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);

Log.InfoFormat("...");

Answer 2

If you want to just move the Log4net.config file to bin/Debug, try right-clicking the file in Solution Explorer -> Properties -> Change the value of Copy to Output Directory to Copy Always. I'm not sure if this is what you want. So, I maybe wrong. Feel free to correct me. ;)

EDIT: Another way is to write a pre-build command. Right-click the project in Solution Explorer -> Properties -> Go to Build Events tab

Assuming the Log4net.config file is present in the project directory (directory where your vb files are present), the following command can be given under the Pre-build event command line,

xcopy "$(ProjectDir)Log4net.config" "$(TargetDir)"