Earlier I had posted about how to achieve File based logging in Ax, however after working with log4net on another project with .net I decided to implement debugging with Ax2012. This is because popping messages in the info log isint a very refined, besides at a customers site, after turning a few configuration keys on, the logging messages can be traced without writing extra code.
Log4Net: This is a very versatile library, if you look at the configuration files or Google around this, you will notice that it supports a wide variety of logging facilities and filters that can be applied. The overhead of using this library isint much.
The advantage of using is that the logging messages can be left inside the code (and you can even mark their category, and it can be configured in a certain way so that the debugging mechanism can be switched turned on or off for that category.
Implementing log4net in AX2012:
You could follow one of these posts and run an independent c# console project and test the log4net framework like in this blog. I wont be going through that part. What i will be showing is how to implement a library once created and added to AX2012, as AX2012 has its own configuration file which will need to be amended.
The C# project:
Create a C# project, add it to the AOT and add the log4net.dll to the c# project. Note that if you use Nuget there are issues adding it into Ax as the dll needs to be referenced with Ax too. So NuGet will not exactly help.
The code is something like this for me:
namespace SHSAx.Logger
{
public enum LogType
{
Debug,
Info,
Warn,
Error,
Fatal
}
public class AxLogging
{
private static ICollection configure = XmlConfigurator.Configure();
private static readonly ILog log = LogManager.GetLogger("DynamicsAx_Logging");
private readonly ILog localILog;
//private ILog log = null;
//Reloads config file so that any change made to the log4net section doesnt require an AOS restart
private static void ReloadConfiguration()
{
ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection("log4net");
configure = XmlConfigurator.Configure();
}
public AxLogging()
{
ReloadConfiguration();
localILog = log;
//log = LogManager.GetLogger(MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);
}
public AxLogging(string logName)
{
ReloadConfiguration();
localILog = LogManager.GetLogger(logName);
}
//Logging for custom log Name
public void WriteO(LogType logType, string message)
{
this.WriteO(logType, message, null);
}
public void WriteO(LogType logType, string message, Exception ex)
{
switch (logType)
{
case LogType.Debug:
localILog.Debug(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Info:
localILog.Info(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Warn:
localILog.Warn(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Error:
localILog.Error(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Fatal:
localILog.Fatal(message, ex);
break;
default:
break;
}
}
//Static logging - using base log name i.e. DynamicsAx_Logging
public static void Write(LogType logType, string message)
{
Write(logType, message, null);
}
public static void Write(LogType logType, string message, Exception ex)
{
switch (logType)
{
case LogType.Debug:
log.Debug(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Info:
log.Info(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Warn:
log.Warn(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Error:
log.Error(message, ex);
break;
case LogType.Fatal:
log.Fatal(message, ex);
break;
default:
break;
}
}
}
}
Create a config file called log4net.config (and this can be duplicated across to the AOS Server – More later)
Add the log4Net assembly to AX references. This is because the log4net assembly doesn’t get uploaded to the server directory, this double up is required as the log4net dll may not be stored in the csharp project in the AOT. Once this is done, then we are ready to call it from X++ or from other C# projects.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<log4net>
<appender name="LogFileAppender" type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
<param name="File" value="C:\Temp\AxLogs\MyFirstLoggerAx000001.log"/>
<lockingModel type="log4net.Appender.FileAppender+MinimalLock" />
<appendToFile value="true" />
<rollingStyle value="Size" />
<maxSizeRollBackups value="2" />
<maximumFileSize value="1MB" />
<staticLogFileName value="true" />
<layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
<param name="ConversionPattern" value="%d [%t] %-5p %c %m%n"/>
</layout>
</appender>
<appender name="LogFileAppender2" type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
<param name="File" value="C:\Temp\AxLogs\MyFirstLoggerAx000002.log"/>
<lockingModel type="log4net.Appender.FileAppender+MinimalLock" />
<appendToFile value="true" />
<rollingStyle value="Size" />
<maxSizeRollBackups value="2" />
<maximumFileSize value="1MB" />
<staticLogFileName value="true" />
<layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
<param name="ConversionPattern" value="%d [%t] %-5p %c %m%n"/>
</layout>
</appender>
<appender name="LogFileAppenderPickList" type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
<param name="File" value="C:\Temp\AxLogs\MyFirstLoggerAx__PickList.log"/>
<lockingModel type="log4net.Appender.FileAppender+MinimalLock" />
<appendToFile value="true" />
<rollingStyle value="Size" />
<maxSizeRollBackups value="2" />
<maximumFileSize value="1MB" />
<staticLogFileName value="true" />
<layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
<param name="ConversionPattern" value="%d [%t] %-5p %c %m%n"/>
</layout>
</appender>
<appender name="TraceAppender" type="log4net.Appender.TraceAppender">
<layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
<conversionPattern value="%date [%thread] %-5level %logger [%property{NDC}] - %message%newline" />
</layout>
</appender>
<root>
<level value="ALL" />
<appender-ref ref="TraceAppender" />
<appender-ref ref="LogFileAppender" />
</root>
<logger name="ShashiTest">
<level value="NONE" />
<appender-ref ref="LogFileAppender2" />
</logger>
<logger name="ThisIsMyLog">
<level value="Fatal" />
<appender-ref ref="LogFileAppender2" />
</logger>
<logger name="Picking_list_posting">
<level value="WARN" />
<appender-ref ref="LogFileAppenderPickList" />
</logger>
</log4net>
The app.config doesnt need to be appended here, but adding it here would document it upto some level on where / what to edit in the Main config file
<?xml version="1.0"?> <configuration> <configSections> <section name="log4net" type="log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net"/> <!--This is required for log4net to work--> </configSections> <log4net configsource="log4net.config"/> <!--picks up the config from log4net.config we created earlier--> <startup> <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0"/> </startup> </configuration>
Now when you were creating the c# project you would have realized that you added parts to the configsections tag in the app.config and also added the log4net tags. These settings need to be transferred into the Ax config file. So in the applications server directory you will see a file ax32serv.exe.config , this is the file where you need to add the values too (: this is the same file where AIF services are registered)
Make the changes to the ax32serv.exe.config file so that we can start programming.
Log4Net’ing from X++
I create a Class called Class1 (a very original name)
public static server void writeLog()
{
//This uses the default log name - which is hardcoded in my project
System.Exception exc;
SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging logging;
SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging::Write(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "this is an info");
SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging::Write(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Debug, "this is a debug");
SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging::Write(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Error, "this is an Error");
SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging::Write(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Fatal, "this is an Fatal issue");
SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging::Write(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Warn, "this is a Warning");
}
public static server void WriteLog1()
{
//This uses the the lognames specified dynamically (See constructor)
SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging logging;
logging = new SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging("Picking_list_posting");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "1. Started process");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "2. Finding inventory");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "3. Check inventory");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Warn, "3. Batch no. not specified");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "3. Allocating batch BT00001");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "4. Posting oprder");
logging = new SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging("ThisIsMyLog");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Debug, "THIS IS MINE...!!!!!! DEBUG");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Error, "THIS IS MINE...!!!!!! ERROR");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Fatal, "THIS IS MINE...!!!!!! FATAL");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "THIS IS MINE...!!!!!! INFO");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Warn, "THIS IS MINE...!!!!!! WARN");
logging = new SHSAx.Logger.AxLogging("ShashiTest");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Debug, "My Test - Debug");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Error, "My Test - Error");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Fatal, "My Test - Fatal");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Info, "My Test - Info");
logging.WriteO(SHSAx.Logger.LogType::Warn, "My Test - Warn");
}
I called these methods from a job to show the results. Note that this is a Server side solution. If you want this to be a client side then you may have to deploy the DLL to every client PC. For me calling a method on the server works well and all logs can be written on the server side.
You could dynamically create lognames based on the user, and then create an appender to capture only those messages.
Once done restart the AOS service and run the job.
MyFirstLoggerAx000001.log
2013-06-04 09:05:23,655 [71] INFO DynamicsAx_Logging this is an info 2013-06-04 09:05:23,655 [71] DEBUG DynamicsAx_Logging this is a debug 2013-06-04 09:05:23,655 [71] ERROR DynamicsAx_Logging this is an Error 2013-06-04 09:05:23,655 [71] FATAL DynamicsAx_Logging this is an Fatal issue 2013-06-04 09:05:23,655 [71] WARN DynamicsAx_Logging this is a Warning 2013-06-04 09:05:23,686 [71] WARN Picking_list_posting 3. Batch no. not specified 2013-06-04 09:05:23,702 [71] FATAL ThisIsMyLog THIS IS MINE...!!!!!! FATAL 2013-06-04 09:05:23,718 [71] DEBUG ShashiTest My Test - Debug 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] ERROR ShashiTest My Test - Error 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] FATAL ShashiTest My Test - Fatal 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] INFO ShashiTest My Test - Info 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] WARN ShashiTest My Test - Warn
MyFirstLoggerAx000002.log
2013-06-04 09:05:23,702 [71] FATAL ThisIsMyLog THIS IS MINE...!!!!!! FATAL 2013-06-04 09:05:23,718 [71] DEBUG ShashiTest My Test - Debug 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] ERROR ShashiTest My Test - Error 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] FATAL ShashiTest My Test - Fatal 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] INFO ShashiTest My Test - Info 2013-06-04 09:05:23,733 [71] WARN ShashiTest My Test - Warn
MyFirstLoggerAx__PickList.log
2013-06-04 09:05:23,686 [71] WARN Picking_list_posting 3. Batch no. not specified
Log result:
NOTE: to pick up the new C# project in X++ you may have to restart the AOS service. Also because we are reloading the configuration every time we call the logging class, there will be overheads. It will nice if the config file doesnt need to be changed.
Hopefully this can be turned into a more streamlined approach and we can get a common class / interface that we all can use to do some logging.
Shashi's Ax.Net Space 
How does the server calls does not need the CLR Interop Permission?
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Good question. Has me stumbled on this too now!
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