This change request is based on Beta feedback.

The logging APIs should more thoroughly support hierarchical
naming, especially the inheritance of values in the tree.


1) Addition of a Logger.getParent() method.

   This would allow you to navigate from a child Logger to its
   closest extant parent in the logging namespace.

2) Loggers should log to their parent's Handlers.

   JSR-047 allows you to either have per-Logger Handlers or to
   have global handlers that apply to all loggers.

   After a Logger has sent its output to its own Handlers, it
   should sends it output to its parent, and so on up the tree.
   This has the usefulattribute that you can conveniently add
   Handlers for large chunks of the namespace. So by adding a
   Handler for "javax.swing" you are automatically capturing
   all output from all Loggersin the "javax.swing" part of
   the logging namespace.

   There should also be methods to allow people to disable
   and enable this functionality on a given Logger.

   If we make this change, then I think a consequence would
   be that the existing global handlers mechanism becomes
   obsolete and should be removed.

3) Loggers should inherit resource bundles

   If a Logger doesn't have a localization bundle defined,
   but one of its parents does, then the Logger should use the
   resource bundle from the nearest parent.

4) Loggers should dynamically inherit Levels from their parents.

   If a Logger does not have an explicit Level defined, then
   it should inherit its effective level from the nearest parent
   that does have a non-null Level defined.


graham.hamilton@Eng 2001-08-01