[log4plsql] Support for multiple pipes

[<log...@li...>]

Hi all,

I consider to use Log4plsql (V2.1.1) in a project where a lot of the =
code is written in Java, and there is also a lot of PLSQL. I need to =
send the logs to certain log files, and it is required that logs from =
PLSQL code is same format as logs from Java.

Looking at the Log4plsql code, I believe I can benefit from using the =
background processing. However, there are some challenges ;-)

First I need to dispatch the logs to the correct log file. This should =
be possible by using the section functionality to identify log file =
destination. Basically each PLSQL package will log to a certain log =
file, and pushing the package name as section, it should be fairly easy =
to configure the hierarchy in Log4J to dispatch logs to the correct =
file.

The second challenge is worse. We are a number of developers who each =
use our own unix-user and database scheme (user) to run the application. =
When logging from one database scheme, the developer expects the logs to =
appear in the log files belonging to the corresponding unix user e.g. =
located in $HOME/myapp/logs. The Log4plsql package writes logs to pipe =
and the background Java logging process receives the logs from this =
pipe. But the pipe name is a constant (LOG_PIPE), which means I can only =
have one background logging process and it must have write permissions =
to all the log directories. I could create a superuser for this purpose =
and allow this superuser to write to the developers home directories (or =
at least their log directories). The background logging process should =
then be run by the superuser. Still it requires the developers to be =
able to control logging for their database scheme, which means they must =
have write access to the background logging configuration. This is a =
little cumbersome.

I believe a better approach is to allow the PLSQL logging to control =
which pipe to log to. Then I would use one pipe for each database scheme =
(say LOG_PIPE_<dbscheme>) and the developer should start a background =
logging process from their unix-user and make it log to their logging =
directory. Control of the log pipe should be put into the log context =
(PLOG.LOG_CTX) and set in the init function. Default could be LOG_PIPE =
for backward compatibility. The background Java logging process should =
read pipe to use from configuration, the same way it configures db =
username/password. Again it could default to LOG_PIPE.

I hope you will consider this enhancement. It should be a fairly simple =
change to implement - if needed I can send the updates to V2.1.1, but at =
the moment I do not have access to compile SQLJ.

I realize there are some initiatives to have the Log4plsql project join =
the Apache Logging Services project, and I am uncertain to what this =
means to the current implementation and future development. Please =
advise if you can.

BR.
Allan