Improve Log4j Core Configuration File Detection for Version 3

Log4j Core 3 has undergone significant modularization and no longer uses optional parser dependencies. This change requires updates to Spring Boot's configuration file detection logic to properly support both Log4j Core 2 and 3.

* **Updated configuration file detection**
  Spring Boot now detects configuration formats based on the presence of `ConfigurationFactory` implementations, instead of relying on optional parser dependencies (as was the case in Log4j Core 2).

* **Improved classloader usage for reflection**
  Reflection logic now uses the classloader that loaded Log4j Core, rather than the one associated with the Spring Boot context, ensuring greater compatibility in modular environments.

* **Adjusted configuration file lookup order**
  The lookup now prioritizes configuration files specified via properties over automatically discovered ones, improving consistency with Log4j Core.

* **Support for contextual configuration files**
  Files named in the form `log4j2<contextName>.<extension>` are now also supported.

These changes ensure compatibility with Log4j Core 3 while preserving support for Log4j Core 2, improving Spring Boot's flexibility in detecting and loading user-defined logging configurations.

> [!NOTE]
> The configuration file detection logic introduced here could potentially be moved into a future version of Log4j Core itself. For more context, see apache/logging-log4j2#3775.

Signed-off-by: Piotr P. Karwasz <[email protected]>

Author: ppkarwasz

core/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4J2LoggingSystem.java

@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler;
 import java.util.logging.Handler;
@@ -83,6 +82,7 @@
  * @author Alexander Heusingfeld
  * @author Ben Hale
  * @author Ralph Goers
+ * @author Piotr P. Karwasz
  * @since 1.2.0
  */
 public class Log4J2LoggingSystem extends AbstractLoggingSystem {
@@ -93,6 +93,41 @@ public class Log4J2LoggingSystem extends AbstractLoggingSystem {
 
 	private static final String LOG4J_LOG_MANAGER = "org.apache.logging.log4j.jul.LogManager";
 
+	/**
+	 * JSON tree parser used by Log4j 2 (optional dependency).
+	 */
+	private static final String JSON_TREE_PARSER_V2 = "com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper";
+
+	/**
+	 * JSON tree parser embedded in Log4j 3.
+	 */
+	private static final String JSON_TREE_PARSER_V3 = "org.apache.logging.log4j.kit.json.JsonReader";
+
+	/**
+	 * Configuration factory for properties files (Log4j 2).
+	 */
+	private static final String PROPS_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V2 = "org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.properties.PropertiesConfigurationFactory";
+
+	/**
+	 * Configuration factory for properties files (Log4j 3, optional dependency).
+	 */
+	private static final String PROPS_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V3 = "org.apache.logging.log4j.config.properties.JavaPropsConfigurationFactory";
+
+	/**
+	 * YAML tree parser used by Log4j 2 (optional dependency).
+	 */
+	private static final String YAML_TREE_PARSER_V2 = "com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLMapper";
+
+	/**
+	 * Configuration factory for YAML files (Log4j 2, embedded).
+	 */
+	private static final String YAML_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V2 = "org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.yaml.YamlConfigurationFactory";
+
+	/**
+	 * Configuration factory for YAML files (Log4j 3, optional dependency).
+	 */
+	private static final String YAML_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V3 = "org.apache.logging.log4j.config.yaml.YamlConfigurationFactory";
+
 	private static final SpringEnvironmentPropertySource propertySource = new SpringEnvironmentPropertySource();
 
 	static final String ENVIRONMENT_KEY = Conventions.getQualifiedAttributeName(Log4J2LoggingSystem.class,
@@ -122,32 +157,61 @@ public Log4J2LoggingSystem(ClassLoader classLoader) {
 	@Override
 	protected String[] getStandardConfigLocations() {
 		List<String> locations = new ArrayList<>();
-		locations.add("log4j2-test.properties");
-		if (isClassAvailable("com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLParser")) {
-			Collections.addAll(locations, "log4j2-test.yaml", "log4j2-test.yml");
+		// The `log4j2.configurationFile` and `log4j.configuration.location` properties
+		// should be checked first, as they can be set to a custom location.
+		for (String property : new String[] { "log4j2.configurationFile", "log4j.configuration.location" }) {
+			String propertyDefinedLocation = PropertiesUtil.getProperties().getStringProperty(property);
+			if (propertyDefinedLocation != null) {
+				locations.add(propertyDefinedLocation);
+			}
 		}
-		if (isClassAvailable("com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper")) {
-			Collections.addAll(locations, "log4j2-test.json", "log4j2-test.jsn");
+
+		// If no custom location is defined, we use the standard locations.
+		LoggerContext loggerContext = getLoggerContext();
+		String contextName = loggerContext.getName();
+		List<String> extensions = getStandardConfigExtensions();
+		extensions.forEach((e) -> locations.add("log4j2-test" + contextName + e));
+		extensions.forEach((e) -> locations.add("log4j2-test" + e));
+		extensions.forEach((e) -> locations.add("log4j2" + contextName + e));
+		extensions.forEach((e) -> locations.add("log4j2" + e));
+
+		return StringUtils.toStringArray(locations);
+	}
+
+	private List<String> getStandardConfigExtensions() {
+		List<String> extensions = new ArrayList<>();
+		// These classes need to be visible by the classloader that loads Log4j Core.
+		ClassLoader classLoader = LoggerContext.class.getClassLoader();
+		// The order of the extensions corresponds to the order
+		// in which Log4j Core 2 and 3 will try to load them,
+		// in decreasing value of `@Order`.
+		if (isClassAvailable(classLoader, PROPS_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V2)
+				|| isClassAvailable(classLoader, PROPS_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V3)) {
+			extensions.add(".properties");
 		}
-		locations.add("log4j2-test.xml");
-		locations.add("log4j2.properties");
-		if (isClassAvailable("com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLParser")) {
-			Collections.addAll(locations, "log4j2.yaml", "log4j2.yml");
+		if (areClassesAvailable(classLoader, YAML_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V2, YAML_TREE_PARSER_V2)
+				|| isClassAvailable(classLoader, YAML_CONFIGURATION_FACTORY_V3)) {
+			Collections.addAll(extensions, ".yaml", ".yml");
 		}
-		if (isClassAvailable("com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper")) {
-			Collections.addAll(locations, "log4j2.json", "log4j2.jsn");
+		if (isClassAvailable(classLoader, JSON_TREE_PARSER_V2) || isClassAvailable(classLoader, JSON_TREE_PARSER_V3)) {
+			Collections.addAll(extensions, ".json", ".jsn");
 		}
-		locations.add("log4j2.xml");
-		String propertyDefinedLocation = new PropertiesUtil(new Properties())
-			.getStringProperty(ConfigurationFactory.CONFIGURATION_FILE_PROPERTY);
-		if (propertyDefinedLocation != null) {
-			locations.add(propertyDefinedLocation);
+		// We assume the `java.xml` module is always available.
+		extensions.add(".xml");
+		return extensions;
+	}
+
+	private boolean areClassesAvailable(ClassLoader classLoader, String... classNames) {
+		for (String className : classNames) {
+			if (!isClassAvailable(classLoader, className)) {
+				return false;
+			}
 		}
-		return StringUtils.toStringArray(locations);
+		return true;
 	}
 
-	protected boolean isClassAvailable(String className) {
-		return ClassUtils.isPresent(className, getClassLoader());
+	protected boolean isClassAvailable(ClassLoader classLoader, String className) {
+		return ClassUtils.isPresent(className, classLoader);
 	}
 
 	@Override

core/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/Log4J2LoggingSystemTests.java

@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@
 import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 import java.net.ProtocolException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Handler;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
@@ -38,12 +40,15 @@
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Configuration;
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.ConfigurationFactory;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Reconfigurable;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.composite.CompositeConfiguration;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.json.JsonConfigurationFactory;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.plugins.util.PluginRegistry;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.properties.PropertiesConfigurationBuilder;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.properties.PropertiesConfigurationFactory;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.xml.XmlConfiguration;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.yaml.YamlConfigurationFactory;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.util.ShutdownCallbackRegistry;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.jul.Log4jBridgeHandler;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.status.StatusListener;
@@ -53,6 +58,9 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.ExtendWith;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.MethodSource;
 import org.slf4j.MDC;
 
 import org.springframework.boot.logging.AbstractLoggingSystemTests;
@@ -89,6 +97,7 @@
  * @author Andy Wilkinson
  * @author Ben Hale
  * @author Madhura Bhave
+ * @author Piotr P. Karwasz
  */
 @ExtendWith(OutputCaptureExtension.class)
 @ClassPathExclusions("logback-*.jar")
@@ -105,6 +114,8 @@ class Log4J2LoggingSystemTests extends AbstractLoggingSystemTests {
 
 	private Configuration configuration;
 
+	private String contextName;
+
 	@BeforeEach
 	void setup() {
 		PluginRegistry.getInstance().clear();
@@ -115,6 +126,7 @@ void setup() {
 		this.configuration = loggerContext.getConfiguration();
 		this.loggingSystem.cleanUp();
 		this.logger = LogManager.getLogger(getClass());
+		this.contextName = loggerContext.getName();
 	}
 
 	@AfterEach
@@ -293,54 +305,79 @@ void loggingThatUsesJulIsCaptured(CapturedOutput output) {
 		assertThat(output).contains("Hello world");
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	void configLocationsWithNoExtraDependencies() {
-		assertThat(this.loggingSystem.getStandardConfigLocations()).contains("log4j2-test.properties",
-				"log4j2-test.xml", "log4j2.properties", "log4j2.xml");
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	void configLocationsWithJacksonDatabind() {
-		this.loggingSystem.availableClasses(ObjectMapper.class.getName());
-		assertThat(this.loggingSystem.getStandardConfigLocations()).containsExactly("log4j2-test.properties",
-				"log4j2-test.json", "log4j2-test.jsn", "log4j2-test.xml", "log4j2.properties", "log4j2.json",
-				"log4j2.jsn", "log4j2.xml");
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	void configLocationsWithJacksonDataformatYaml() {
-		this.loggingSystem.availableClasses("com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLParser");
-		assertThat(this.loggingSystem.getStandardConfigLocations()).containsExactly("log4j2-test.properties",
-				"log4j2-test.yaml", "log4j2-test.yml", "log4j2-test.xml", "log4j2.properties", "log4j2.yaml",
-				"log4j2.yml", "log4j2.xml");
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	void configLocationsWithJacksonDatabindAndDataformatYaml() {
-		this.loggingSystem.availableClasses("com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLParser",
-				ObjectMapper.class.getName());
-		assertThat(this.loggingSystem.getStandardConfigLocations()).containsExactly("log4j2-test.properties",
-				"log4j2-test.yaml", "log4j2-test.yml", "log4j2-test.json", "log4j2-test.jsn", "log4j2-test.xml",
-				"log4j2.properties", "log4j2.yaml", "log4j2.yml", "log4j2.json", "log4j2.jsn", "log4j2.xml");
+	static Stream<String> configLocationsWithConfigurationFileSystemProperty() {
+		return Stream.of("log4j2.configurationFile", "log4j.configuration.location");
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	void configLocationsWithConfigurationFileSystemProperty() {
-		System.setProperty(ConfigurationFactory.CONFIGURATION_FILE_PROPERTY, "custom-log4j2.properties");
+	@ParameterizedTest
+	@MethodSource
+	void configLocationsWithConfigurationFileSystemProperty(String propertyName) {
+		System.setProperty(propertyName, "custom-log4j2.properties");
 		try {
-			assertThat(this.loggingSystem.getStandardConfigLocations()).containsExactly("log4j2-test.properties",
-					"log4j2-test.xml", "log4j2.properties", "log4j2.xml", "custom-log4j2.properties");
+			assertThat(this.loggingSystem.getStandardConfigLocations()).containsExactly("custom-log4j2.properties",
+					"log4j2-test" + this.contextName + ".xml", "log4j2-test.xml", "log4j2" + this.contextName + ".xml",
+					"log4j2.xml");
 		}
 		finally {
-			System.clearProperty(ConfigurationFactory.CONFIGURATION_FILE_PROPERTY);
+			System.clearProperty(propertyName);
 		}
 	}
 
+	static Stream<Arguments> standardConfigLocations() {
+		// For each configuration file format we make "available" to the
+		// Log4j2LoggingSystem:
+		// - The Log4j Core `ConfigurationFactory` class
+		// - The tree parser used internally by that configuration factory
+		return Stream.of(
+				// No classes, only XML
+				Arguments.of(List.of(), List.of(".xml")),
+				// Log4j Core 2
+				Arguments.of(List.of(JsonConfigurationFactory.class.getName(), ObjectMapper.class.getName()),
+						List.of(".json", ".jsn", ".xml")),
+				Arguments.of(List.of(PropertiesConfigurationFactory.class.getName(),
+						PropertiesConfigurationBuilder.class.getName()), List.of(".properties", ".xml")),
+				Arguments.of(List.of(YamlConfigurationFactory.class.getName(),
+						"com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLMapper"), List.of(".yaml", ".yml", ".xml")),
+				Arguments.of(List.of(JsonConfigurationFactory.class.getName(), ObjectMapper.class.getName(),
+						PropertiesConfigurationFactory.class.getName(), PropertiesConfigurationBuilder.class.getName(),
+						YamlConfigurationFactory.class.getName(), "com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLMapper"),
+						List.of(".properties", ".yaml", ".yml", ".json", ".jsn", ".xml")),
+				// Log4j Core 3
+				Arguments.of(List.of(JsonConfigurationFactory.class.getName(),
+						"org.apache.logging.log4j.kit.json.JsonReader"), List.of(".json", ".jsn", ".xml")),
+				Arguments.of(List.of("org.apache.logging.log4j.config.properties.JavaPropsConfigurationFactory",
+						"tools.jackson.dataformat.javaprop.JavaPropsMapper"), List.of(".properties", ".xml")),
+				Arguments.of(List.of("org.apache.logging.log4j.config.yaml.YamlConfigurationFactory",
+						"tools.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLMapper"), List.of(".yaml", ".yml", ".xml")),
+				Arguments.of(
+						List.of(JsonConfigurationFactory.class.getName(),
+								"org.apache.logging.log4j.kit.json.JsonReader",
+								"org.apache.logging.log4j.config.properties.JavaPropsConfigurationFactory",
+								"tools.jackson.dataformat.javaprop.JavaPropsMapper",
+								"org.apache.logging.log4j.config.yaml.YamlConfigurationFactory",
+								"tools.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLMapper"),
+						List.of(".properties", ".yaml", ".yml", ".json", ".jsn", ".xml")));
+	}
+
+	@ParameterizedTest
+	@MethodSource
+	void standardConfigLocations(List<String> availableClasses, List<String> expectedSuffixes) {
+		this.loggingSystem.availableClasses(availableClasses.toArray(new String[0]));
+		String[] locations = this.loggingSystem.getStandardConfigLocations();
+		assertThat(locations).hasSize(4 * expectedSuffixes.size());
+		List<String> expected = new ArrayList<>();
+		expectedSuffixes.forEach(s -> expected.add("log4j2-test" + this.contextName + s));
+		expectedSuffixes.forEach(s -> expected.add("log4j2-test" + s));
+		expectedSuffixes.forEach(s -> expected.add("log4j2" + this.contextName + s));
+		expectedSuffixes.forEach(s -> expected.add("log4j2" + s));
+		assertThat(locations).containsExactlyElementsOf(expected);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void springConfigLocations() {
 		String[] locations = getSpringConfigLocations(this.loggingSystem);
-		assertThat(locations).containsExactly("log4j2-test-spring.properties", "log4j2-test-spring.xml",
-				"log4j2-spring.properties", "log4j2-spring.xml");
+		assertThat(locations).containsExactly("log4j2-test" + contextName + "-spring.xml", "log4j2-test-spring.xml",
+				"log4j2" + contextName + "-spring.xml", "log4j2-spring.xml");
 	}
 
 	@Test

core/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/log4j2/TestLog4J2LoggingSystem.java

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ private LoggerContext getLoggerContext() {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	protected boolean isClassAvailable(String className) {
+	protected boolean isClassAvailable(ClassLoader classLoader, String className) {
 		return this.availableClasses.contains(className);
 	}