# Class SimpleFormatter

java.lang.Object
java.util.logging.Formatter
java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter

public class SimpleFormatter extends Formatter
Print a brief summary of the `LogRecord` in a human readable format. The summary will typically be 1 or 2 lines.

Configuration: The `SimpleFormatter` is initialized with the format string specified in the `java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format` property to format the log messages. This property can be defined in the logging properties configuration file or as a system property. If this property is set in both the logging properties and system properties, the format string specified in the system property will be used. If this property is not defined or the given format string is illegal, the default format is implementation-specific.

Since:
  1.4
See Also:
  - `Formatter`

## Constructor Summary

Constructors
Constructor
Description
`SimpleFormatter()`
Create a `SimpleFormatter`.

## Method Summary

Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`String`
`format(LogRecord record)`
Format the given LogRecord.

### Methods declared in class Formatter

`formatMessage, getHead, getTail`

### Methods declared in class Object

`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

## Constructor Details

### SimpleFormatter

public SimpleFormatter()
Create a `SimpleFormatter`.

## Method Details

### format

public String format(LogRecord record)
Format the given LogRecord.

The formatting can be customized by specifying the format string in the `java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format` property. The given `LogRecord` will be formatted as if by calling:

       String.format(format, date, source, logger, level, message, thrown);

where the arguments are:

1. `format` - the `java.util.Formatter` format string specified in the `java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format` property or the default format.
2. `date` - a `ZonedDateTime` object representing event time of the log record in the `ZoneId.systemDefault()` system time zone.
3. `source` - a string representing the caller, if available; otherwise, the logger's name.
4. `logger` - the logger's name.
5. `level` - the log level.
6. `message` - the formatted log message returned from the `Formatter.formatMessage(LogRecord)` method. It uses `java.text` formatting and does not use the `java.util.Formatter format` argument.
7. `thrown` - a string representing the throwable associated with the log record and its backtrace beginning with a newline character, if any; otherwise, an empty string.

Some example formats:

- `java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format="%4$s: %5$s [%1$tc]%n"`

  This prints 1 line with the log level (`4$`), the log message (`5$`) and the timestamp (`1$`) in a square bracket.

          WARNING: warning message [Tue Mar 22 13:11:31 PDT 2011]

- `java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format="%1$tc %2$s%n%4$s: %5$s%6$s%n"`

  This prints 2 lines where the first line includes the timestamp (`1$`) and the source (`2$`); the second line includes the log level (`4$`) and the log message (`5$`) followed by the throwable and its backtrace (`6$`), if any:

          Tue Mar 22 13:11:31 PDT 2011 MyClass fatal
          SEVERE: several message with an exception
          java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: invalid argument
                  at MyClass.mash(MyClass.java:9)
                  at MyClass.crunch(MyClass.java:6)
                  at MyClass.main(MyClass.java:3)

- `java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format="%1$tb %1$td, %1$tY %1$tl:%1$tM:%1$tS %1$Tp %2$s%n%4$s: %5$s%n"`

  This prints 2 lines similar to the example above with a different date/time formatting and does not print the throwable and its backtrace:

          Mar 22, 2011 1:11:31 PM MyClass fatal
          SEVERE: several message with an exception

- `java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format="%1$tb %1$td, %1$tY %1$tl:%1$tM:%1$tS.%1$tN %1$Tp %2$s%n%4$s: %5$s%6$s%n"`

  Since JDK 9, `java.util.logging` uses `java.time` to create more precise time stamps. The format above can be used to add a `.%1$tN` to the date/time formatting so that nanoseconds will also be printed:

          Feb 06, 2015 5:33:10.279216000 PM example.Main main
          INFO: This is a test

This method can also be overridden in a subclass. It is recommended to use the `Formatter.formatMessage(LogRecord)` convenience method to localize and format the message field.

Specified by:
  `format` in class `Formatter`
Parameters:
  `record` - the log record to be formatted.
Returns:
  a formatted log record