log4j2 - JVM input arguments lookup (jvmrunargs) does not work - jvm

Question

I have just started trying out log4j2 (I've been using log4j 1.2.X previously). Aside from the frustration of trying to figure out what is needed/valid for the configuration file (log4j2.xml), I have been unable to use the Java VM "lookup" capability supposedly supported by log4j2. As far as I can tell, I'm doing the right stuff - based on the information available from the log4j web site. Has anyone ever had any success with this?
Here are the basics of what I'm doing:
java class:
[which is using SLF4J to "bridge" to log4j]
package logger;
import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
public class Main {
private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Main.class);
public static void main(String[] args) {
logger.info("In main()");
}
}
log4j2.xml:
[I'm trying to pass a log directory, configured elsewhere]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<configuration status="INFO" strict="true">
<Properties>
<Property name="filename">${jvmrunargs:log_dir}/log.txt</Property>
</Properties>
<!-- APPENDERS -->
<Appenders>
<Appender type="File" name="File" fileName="${filename}">
<Layout type="PatternLayout">
<Pattern>%d %p %C{1.} [%t] %m%n</Pattern>
</Layout>
</Appender>
</Appenders>
<!-- LOGGERS -->
<Loggers>
<Root level="INFO">
<AppenderRef ref="File" />
</Root>
</Loggers>
</configuration>
This fails with multiple exceptions thrown by log4j:
SLF4J: Class path contains multiple SLF4J bindings.
SLF4J: Found binding in [jar:file:/C:/Users/jo24447/.m2/repository/org/apache/logging/log4j/log4j-slf4j-impl/2.7/log4j-slf4j-impl-2.7.jar!/org/slf4j/impl/StaticLoggerBinder.class]
SLF4J: Found binding in [jar:file:/C:/Users/jo24447/.m2/repository/org/slf4j/slf4j-log4j12/1.7.21/slf4j-log4j12-1.7.21.jar!/org/slf4j/impl/StaticLoggerBinder.class]
SLF4J: See http://www.slf4j.org/codes.html#multiple_bindings for an explanation.
SLF4J: Actual binding is of type [org.apache.logging.slf4j.Log4jLoggerFactory]
2016-12-07 10:44:52,566 main ERROR FileManager (${jvmrunargs:log_dir}/log.txt) java.io.FileNotFoundException: ${jvmrunargs:log_dir}\log.txt (The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect) java.io.FileNotFoundException: ${jvmrunargs:log_dir}\log.txt (The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect)
at java.io.FileOutputStream.open(Native Method)
at java.io.FileOutputStream.<init>(FileOutputStream.java:221)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileManager$FileManagerFactory.createManager(FileManager.java:258)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileManager$FileManagerFactory.createManager(FileManager.java:238)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.AbstractManager.getManager(AbstractManager.java:112)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.OutputStreamManager.getManager(OutputStreamManager.java:114)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileManager.getFileManager(FileManager.java:110)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileAppender$Builder.build(FileAppender.java:89)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileAppender$Builder.build(FileAppender.java:51)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.plugins.util.PluginBuilder.build(PluginBuilder.java:122)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createPluginObject(AbstractConfiguration.java:942)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createConfiguration(AbstractConfiguration.java:882)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createConfiguration(AbstractConfiguration.java:874)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.doConfigure(AbstractConfiguration.java:498)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.initialize(AbstractConfiguration.java:227)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.start(AbstractConfiguration.java:239)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.setConfiguration(LoggerContext.java:530)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.reconfigure(LoggerContext.java:603)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.reconfigure(LoggerContext.java:620)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.start(LoggerContext.java:226)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.impl.Log4jContextFactory.getContext(Log4jContextFactory.java:152)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.impl.Log4jContextFactory.getContext(Log4jContextFactory.java:45)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager.getContext(LogManager.java:194)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLoggerAdapter.getContext(AbstractLoggerAdapter.java:103)
at org.apache.logging.slf4j.Log4jLoggerFactory.getContext(Log4jLoggerFactory.java:43)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLoggerAdapter.getLogger(AbstractLoggerAdapter.java:42)
at org.apache.logging.slf4j.Log4jLoggerFactory.getLogger(Log4jLoggerFactory.java:29)
at org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger(LoggerFactory.java:358)
at org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger(LoggerFactory.java:383)
at logger.Main.<clinit>(Main.java:8)
2016-12-07 10:44:52,572 main ERROR Unable to inject fields into builder class for plugin type class org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileAppender, element File. java.lang.IllegalStateException: ManagerFactory [org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileManager$FileManagerFactory#1decca33] unable to create manager for [${jvmrunargs:log_dir}/log.txt] with data [org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileManager$FactoryData#24cee99e]
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.AbstractManager.getManager(AbstractManager.java:114)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.OutputStreamManager.getManager(OutputStreamManager.java:114)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileManager.getFileManager(FileManager.java:110)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileAppender$Builder.build(FileAppender.java:89)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileAppender$Builder.build(FileAppender.java:51)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.plugins.util.PluginBuilder.build(PluginBuilder.java:122)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createPluginObject(AbstractConfiguration.java:942)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createConfiguration(AbstractConfiguration.java:882)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createConfiguration(AbstractConfiguration.java:874)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.doConfigure(AbstractConfiguration.java:498)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.initialize(AbstractConfiguration.java:227)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.start(AbstractConfiguration.java:239)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.setConfiguration(LoggerContext.java:530)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.reconfigure(LoggerContext.java:603)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.reconfigure(LoggerContext.java:620)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.start(LoggerContext.java:226)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.impl.Log4jContextFactory.getContext(Log4jContextFactory.java:152)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.impl.Log4jContextFactory.getContext(Log4jContextFactory.java:45)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager.getContext(LogManager.java:194)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLoggerAdapter.getContext(AbstractLoggerAdapter.java:103)
at org.apache.logging.slf4j.Log4jLoggerFactory.getContext(Log4jLoggerFactory.java:43)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLoggerAdapter.getLogger(AbstractLoggerAdapter.java:42)
at org.apache.logging.slf4j.Log4jLoggerFactory.getLogger(Log4jLoggerFactory.java:29)
at org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger(LoggerFactory.java:358)
at org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger(LoggerFactory.java:383)
at logger.Main.<clinit>(Main.java:8)
2016-12-07 10:44:52,575 main ERROR Unable to invoke factory method in class class org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileAppender for element File. java.lang.IllegalStateException: No factory method found for class org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.FileAppender
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.plugins.util.PluginBuilder.findFactoryMethod(PluginBuilder.java:224)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.plugins.util.PluginBuilder.build(PluginBuilder.java:130)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createPluginObject(AbstractConfiguration.java:942)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createConfiguration(AbstractConfiguration.java:882)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.createConfiguration(AbstractConfiguration.java:874)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.doConfigure(AbstractConfiguration.java:498)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.initialize(AbstractConfiguration.java:227)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AbstractConfiguration.start(AbstractConfiguration.java:239)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.setConfiguration(LoggerContext.java:530)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.reconfigure(LoggerContext.java:603)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.reconfigure(LoggerContext.java:620)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext.start(LoggerContext.java:226)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.impl.Log4jContextFactory.getContext(Log4jContextFactory.java:152)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.impl.Log4jContextFactory.getContext(Log4jContextFactory.java:45)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager.getContext(LogManager.java:194)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLoggerAdapter.getContext(AbstractLoggerAdapter.java:103)
at org.apache.logging.slf4j.Log4jLoggerFactory.getContext(Log4jLoggerFactory.java:43)
at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLoggerAdapter.getLogger(AbstractLoggerAdapter.java:42)
at org.apache.logging.slf4j.Log4jLoggerFactory.getLogger(Log4jLoggerFactory.java:29)
at org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger(LoggerFactory.java:358)
at org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger(LoggerFactory.java:383)
at logger.Main.<clinit>(Main.java:8)
2016-12-07 10:44:52,576 main ERROR Null object returned for File in Appenders.
2016-12-07 10:44:52,581 main ERROR Unable to locate appender "File" for logger config "root"
Here is the simple pom.xml:
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
<groupId>logger</groupId>
<artifactId>logger</artifactId>
<version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
<properties>
<compileSource>1.7</compileSource>
<maven-compiler-plugin.version>2.3.2</maven-compiler-plugin.version>
<maven-jar-plugin.version>2.5</maven-jar-plugin.version>
<maven-dependency-plugin.version>2.10</maven-dependency-plugin.version>
<log4j.version>2.7</log4j.version>
<slf4j.version>1.7.21</slf4j.version>
</properties>
<dependencies>
<!-- Apache Log4J 2 -->
<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
<artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
<version>${log4j.version}</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
<artifactId>log4j-core</artifactId>
<version>${log4j.version}</version>
</dependency>
<!-- Log4J 2 to SLF4J bridge -->
<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
<artifactId>log4j-slf4j-impl</artifactId>
<version>${log4j.version}</version>
</dependency>
<!-- SLF4J -->
<dependency>
<groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
<artifactId>slf4j-log4j12</artifactId>
<version>${slf4j.version}</version>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
<build>
<plugins>
<plugin>
<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
<version>${maven-compiler-plugin.version}</version>
<configuration>
<source>${compileSource}</source>
<target>${compileSource}</target>
</configuration>
</plugin>
</plugins>
</build>
</project>