SLF4J warning or error messages and their meanings

The method o.a.commons.logging.impl.SLF4FLogFactory#release was invoked.

Given the structure of the commons-logging API, in particular as implemented by SLF4J, the o.a.commons.logging.impl.SLF4FLogFactory#release() method should never be called. However, depending on the deployment of commons-logging.jar files in your servlet container, release() method may be unexpectedly invoked by a copy of org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory class shipping with commons-logging.jar.

This is a relatively common occurrence with recent versions of Tomcat, especially if you place jcl-over-slf4j.jar in WEB-INF/lib directory of your web-application instead of $TOMCAT_HOME/common/lib, where $TOMCAT_HOME stands for the directory where Tomcat is installed. In order to fully benefit from the stability offered by jcl-over-slf4j.jar, we recommend that you place jcl-over-slf4j.jar in $TOMCAT_HOME/common/lib without placing a copy in your web-applications.

Please also see bug #22.

Operation [suchAndSuch] is not supported in jcl-over-slf4j.

An UnsuportedOperationException is thrown whenever one of the protected methods introduced in JCL 1.1 are invoked. These methods are invoked by LogFactory implementations shipping with commons-logging.jar. However, the LogFactory implemented by jcl-over-slf4j.jar, namely SLF4FLogFactory, does not call any of these methods.

If you observe this problem, then it is higly probable that you have a copy of commons-logging.jar in your class path overriding the classes shipping with jcl-over-slf4j.jar. Note that this issue is very similar in nature to the warning issued when the "o.a.commons.logging.impl.SLF4FLogFactory.release()" method is invoked, discussed in the previous item.

Failed to load class org.slf4j.impl.StaticLoggerBinder

This error is reported when the org.slf4j.impl.StaticLoggerBinder class could not be loaded into memory. This happens when no appropriate SLF4J binding could be found on the class path. Placing one (and only one) of slf4j-nop.jar, slf4j-simple.jar, slf4j-log4j12.jar, slf4j-jdk14.jar or logback-classic.jar on the class path should solve the problem.

Logging factory implementation cannot be null

This error is reported when the LoggerFactory class could not find an appropriate binding. Placing one (and only one) of slf4j-nop.jar, slf4j-simple.jar, slf4j-log4j12.jar, slf4j-jdk14.jar or logback-classic.jar on the class path should prove to be an effective remedy.

Failed to load class "org.slf4j.impl.StaticMDCBinder"

This error indicates that appropriate SLF4J binding could not be found on the class path. Placing one (and only one) of slf4j-nop.jar, slf4j-simple.jar, slf4j-log4j12.jar, slf4j-jdk14.jar or logback-classic.jar on the class path should solve the problem.

MDCAdapter cannot be null

This error is reported when org.slf4j.MDC class has not been initialized correctly. Same cause and remedy as the previously listed item.

SLF4J versions 1.4.0 and later requires log4j 1.2.12 or later

The trace level was added to log4j in version 1.2.12 released on August 29, 2005. The trace level was added to the SLF4J API in version 1.4.0 on May 16th, 2007. Thus, starting with SLF4J 1.4.0, the log4j binding for SLF4J requires log4j version 1.2.12 or above.

However, as reported in bug 68, in some environments it may be difficult to upgrade the log4j version. To accomodate such circumstances, SLF4J's Log4jLoggerAdapter will map the TRACE level as DEBUG.