Log4net works when specifying logger name but not by reflection? Is this an issue? - vb.net

Question

I am attempting to overhaul one application's (a console app written in VB.NET) logging system using log4net.
I configured log4net according to this CodeProject tutorial. After configuring, I have discovered that the following log initialization creates empty logs (the resulting folder structure is correct and it creates the correct, dated text file, but the file is empty):
Private ReadOnly log As log4net.ILog = log4net.LogManager.GetLogger(Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType)
However, if I use the following line, it logs correctly.
Private ReadOnly log As log4net.ILog = log4net.LogManager.GetLogger("VSED")
In my main module, I'm logging an error like so:
log.Error("Test error!")
And I'm loading the assembly like so:
<Assembly: log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator(Watch:=True)>
Below is my app.config file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section name="log4net" type="log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler,log4net"/>
</configSections>
<log4net>
<appender name="RollingFileAppender" type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
<lockingModel type="log4net.Appender.FileAppender+MinimalLock"/>
<file value="logs\" />
<datePattern value="dd.MM.yyyy'.log'" />
<appendToFile value="true" />
<rollingStyle value="Composite" />
<maxSizeRollBackups value="10" />
<maximumFileSize value="100KB" />
<staticLogFileName value="false" />
<layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
<conversionPattern value="%date [%thread] %-5level %logger [%property{NDC}] – %message%newline" />
</layout>
</appender>
<logger name="VSED">
<level value="DEBUG"/>
<appender-ref ref="RollingFileAppender"/>
</logger>
<filter type="log4net.Filter.LevelRangeFilter">
<levelMin value="INFO"/>
<levelMax value="FATAL"/>
</filter>
</log4net>
<system.diagnostics>
<sources>
<!-- This section defines the logging configuration for My.Application.Log -->
<source name="DefaultSource" switchName="DefaultSwitch">
<listeners>
<add name="FileLog"/>
<!-- Uncomment the below section to write to the Application Event Log -->
<!--<add name="EventLog"/>-->
</listeners>
</source>
</sources>
<switches>
<add name="DefaultSwitch" value="Information" />
</switches>
<sharedListeners>
<add name="FileLog"
type="Microsoft.VisualBasic.Logging.FileLogTraceListener, Microsoft.VisualBasic, Version=8.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL"
initializeData="FileLogWriter"/>
<!-- Uncomment the below section and replace APPLICATION_NAME with the name of your application to write to the Application Event Log -->
<!--<add name="EventLog" type="System.Diagnostics.EventLogTraceListener" initializeData="APPLICATION_NAME"/> -->
</sharedListeners>
</system.diagnostics>
</configuration>
Is this even an issue? Will it present problems if I use this logger (explicitly stating its name) in multiple classes as opposed to the reflection?
Essentially, I'd just like to know why it's not working via the preferred method. Is my app.config incorrect? Am I doing something else incorrectly?
Thank you all!

Answer 1

You are only logging messages from VSED, your Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType is probably not VSED, but something.VSED. That is why your logger is not giving any output. See what the Reflection.MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType is and make a logger with that name.
This will give the output from all your loggers:
<root>
<level value="DEBUG" />
<appender-ref ref="RollingLogFileAppender" />
</root>