Working with the Oracle Diagnostic Logging on Weblogic

How to use the ODL effectively in the following:

Event Handlers
Scheduled Tasks
ICF Connectors

First, use the following classes in your code:
java.util.logging.Logger
java.util.logging.Level

You do not have to use log4j-xxx.jar it is not needed.

Second, and this is very important, if you CAN, do not begin your package name with com, rather use something unique like edu for colleges or your company abbreviation.  This will make it easier to do the configuration in the Enterprise Manager.

Next, in your code, use the following techniques:
1) In your class definition, create a private static final Logger called logger and initialize it with the class like this:
private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(MyClass.class.getName());

2) In each method specify a String with the method name such as:
String methodName="execute";

3) At the beginning of each method use:
logger.logp(Level.FINE, getClass().getName(), methodName, "Entering");

4) Optionally, at the end of each method use:
logger.logp(Level.FINE, getClass().getName(), methodName, "Exiting");


5) For the rest of your output statements, use:
logger.logp(Level.FINE, getClass().getName(), methodName,
   "whatever you want to say in your message");

For these types of statements the following are available:
Level.SEVERE         Level.WARNING      Level.INFO
Level.FINE               Level.FINER             Level.FINEST

That's it for the code.

In Weblogic's Enterprise Manager, open the deployment where you have placed your code, Nav to this with WebLogic Domain -> domain name and select the managed server.

You will see the managed server name (it needs to be up with the green up arrow) and below that will read WebLogic Server and show a down arrow.  Select the down arrow and nav to Logs -> Log Configuration.

In here you see 3 tabs, Log Levels, Log Files, and QuickTrace.  Select Log Levels, View Runtime Loggers, and search on your class name.

Find your class name.  The default log level is normally WARNING.  Choose wisely the class or package you want to modify, and set the level to the highest level you wish to see.  Scroll to the bottom of the screen and check the "Persist log level state across component restarts" and then click "Apply".  Your logger is now set to go to the diagnostic.log file.

If you want to have your data go to a separate set of log files, go to the Log Files tab and select the odl-handler Handler Name, then click on "Create Like...", and create a new Handler.  Give it a cool name and change the configuration to use a different file name pattern than -diagnostic.  Save this and then assign your classes to it.  Done.