Dear Apache Commons JEXL developers,
I'm writing to propose migrating the Commons JEXL project from Apache Commons
Logging
to SLF4J as the default logging facade.
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Apache Commons JEXL currently uses Apache Commons Logging as its default
logging framework. While Commons Logging has served well historically, the Java
logging landscape has evolved significantly. Many modern frameworks and
applications now prefer and default to SLF4J (Simple Logging Facade for Java).
Why SLF4J is Recommended:
Modern Ecosystem Alignment: Most contemporary Java frameworks (Spring Boot,
Hibernate, etc.) have migrated to or recommend SLF4J as their logging facade.
Superior Performance: SLF4J's parameterized logging (logger.debug("User {}
logged in", username)) avoids the string concatenation overhead required by
Commons Logging's isDebugEnabled() pattern.
Flexible Backend Support: SLF4J supports multiple logging implementations
(Logback, Log4j2, JDK logging) without requiring code changes.
Better API Design: SLF4J provides a cleaner API with no checked exceptions and
supports MDC (Mapped Diagnostic Context) for advanced logging scenarios.
Industry Standard: SLF4J has become the de facto standard for logging facades
in modern Java applications.
Migration Benefits for JEXL:
Better Integration: Projects using SLF4J won't need bridging dependencies when
using JEXL.
Performance Improvements: Parameterized logging in SLF4J can provide
performance benefits.
Future-Proofing: Aligns JEXL with modern Java development practices.
Backward Compatibility: Existing projects can continue using Commons Logging
via SLF4J's bridge (jcl-over-slf4j).
Proposed Approach:
Replace Commons Logging dependencies with SLF4J API
Update code to use SLF4J's parameterized logging patterns
Provide backward compatibility documentation
Backward Compatibility Note: SLF4J provides excellent backward compatibility.
Projects currently using JEXL with Commons Logging can simply add the
jcl-over-slf4j bridge dependency to route all Commons Logging calls through
SLF4J without changing their logging configuration.
Willingness to Contribute: If the maintainers agree with this proposal, I would
be happy to contribute the necessary code changes via a pull request. This
would include:
Dependency updates in pom.xml
Code migration from Commons Logging to SLF4J patterns
Documentation updates
Test verification
References:
SLF4J Manual: http://www.slf4j.org/manual.html
Migration Guide: http://www.slf4j.org/legacy.html
jcl-over-slf4j bridge: Provides transparent redirection of Commons Logging
calls to SLF4J
Thank you for considering this proposal to modernize JEXL's logging
infrastructure.
单红宇
[email protected]
