Use SLF4J instead of Logback to ensure portability; 2. Replace string splicing with parameterized logs to improve performance; 3. Use TRACE/DEBUG/INFO/WARN/ERROR levels reasonably; 4. Structured logs through MDC for machine resolution; 5. Avoid recording sensitive information such as passwords or PII; 6. Configure AsyncAppender to prevent blocking the main thread; 7. Test log output with ListAppender—Follow these practices to enable logs to truly serve development and operation and maintenance, rather than create noise.
When it comes to logging in Java, SLF4J Logback is the gold standard — it's fast, flexible, and widely adopted. But just using them isn't enough. To get real value from your logs (debugging, monitoring, compliance), you need to follow best practices. Here's what actually matters in real-world apps:

? 1. Use SLF4J for Logging, Not Logback Directly
Always code against the SLF4J API , not Logback's native classes. This keeps your code portable and testable.
import org.slf4j.Logger; import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory; private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MyService.class);
Why?

- You can swap Logback for another backend (like Log4j2) later without changing code.
- SLF4J supports parameterized logging — critical for performance.
? Avoid this:
// DON'T do this — ties you to Logback ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger logger = ...
? 2. Use Parameterized Logging (Not String Concatenation)
This is the #1 performance win most people miss.

? Good:
logger.debug("User {} logged in from IP: {}", userId, ip);
? Bad:
logger.debug("User " userId " logged in from IP: " ip); // String built even if debug is OFF
Why?
SLF4J only evaluates the parameters if the log level is enabled. Huge difference in high-throughput apps.
? 3. Choose the Right Log Level
Use levels intentionally — not just info
for everything.
-
TRACE
– Very detailed (eg, entry/exit of methods) -
DEBUG
– Dev-time info (eg, variable states) -
INFO
– Key app events (eg, startup, user actions) -
WARN
– Unexpected but handled (eg, fallback logic) -
ERROR
– Something broke (eg, failed API call)
? Pro tip:
Use WARN
for things that should be monitored but don't crash the app — ops teams often alert on ERROR
only.
? 4. Structure Logs for Machines (Not Just Humans)
If you're using tools like ELK, Splunk, or Datadog — structure your logs.
Example with MDC (Mapped Diagnostic Context):
MDC.put("userId", userId); MDC.put("requestId", UUID.randomUUID().toString()); logger.info("Processing payment");
In logback.xml
:
<pattern>%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%thread] %-5level %logger{36} %X{requestId} - %msg%n</pattern>
This gives you:
- Correlation IDs for tracing requests
- Structured fields for filtering in dashboards
? 5. Don't Log Sensitive Data
Never log passwords, tokens, PII, or credit card numbers — even in debug.
? Dangerous:
logger.debug("User login attempt: {}", user.toString()); // Could leak password!
? Safer:
logger.debug("User {} login attempt", user.getEmail());
Use a logging maker or custom toString() that excludes sensitive fields.
? 6. Configure Async Appenders for Performance
If you're logging a lot (eg, high-frequency services), use AsyncAppender
:
<appender name="ASYNC" class="ch.qos.logback.classic.AsyncAppender"> <appender-ref ref="FILE"/> <queueSize>1000</queueSize> <discardingThreshold>0</discardingThreshold> </appender>
Why?
It prevents logging from blocking your main thread — especially useful if writing to disk or network.
? 7. Test Your Logging
Yes, test it. Use ListAppender
in unit tests:
ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> listAppender = new ListAppender<>(); listAppender.start(); logger.addAppender(listAppender); // trigger your code assertTrue(listAppender.list.stream() .anyMatch(event -> event.getMessage().contains("expected message")));
This ensures critical logs are actually emitted — especially for error paths.
Bottom line:
SLF4J Logback is powerful, but only if you use it right. Focus on structure, performance, and safety — not just dumping text to a file. These practices make logs useful for both devs and ops, not just noise.
Basically, just follow these and you're already ahead of 80% of Java apps out there.
The above is the detailed content of Java Logging Best Practices with SLF4J and Logback. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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