nlog database target parameters layout error

Question

I'm trying to use nlog database target. First it doesn't work if I don't create the database manually. The other and more important thing, I can't log. I get errors about my parameter layout. Out put from nlog internal log:

2016-11-12 18:45:49.0479 Debug Setting 'DatabaseParameterInfo.layout' to '${logged}'
2016-11-12 18:45:49.0744 Warn Error when setting property 'Layout' on 'NLog.Targets.DatabaseParameterInfo' Exception: System.ArgumentException: LayoutRenderer cannot be found: 'logged'
   at NLog.Config.Factory`2.CreateInstance(String name)
   at NLog.Layouts.LayoutParser.ParseLayoutRenderer(ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory, SimpleStringReader sr)
   at NLog.Layouts.LayoutParser.CompileLayout(ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory, SimpleStringReader sr, Boolean isNested, String& text)
   at NLog.Layouts.SimpleLayout.set_Text(String value)
   at NLog.Internal.PropertyHelper.TryNLogSpecificConversion(Type propertyType, String value, Object& newValue, ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory)
   at NLog.Internal.PropertyHelper.SetPropertyFromString(Object obj, String propertyName, String value, ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory)
2016-11-12 18:45:49.0909 Error Error in Parsing Configuration File. Exception: NLog.NLogConfigurationException: Exception occurred when loading configuration from C:\Github\private\WeBees\WeBees Client\WeBees.Server\NLog.config ---> NLog.NLogConfigurationException: Error when setting property 'Layout' on NLog.Targets.DatabaseParameterInfo ---> System.ArgumentException: LayoutRenderer cannot be found: 'logged'
   at NLog.Config.Factory`2.CreateInstance(String name)
   at NLog.Layouts.LayoutParser.ParseLayoutRenderer(ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory, SimpleStringReader sr)
   at NLog.Layouts.LayoutParser.CompileLayout(ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory, SimpleStringReader sr, Boolean isNested, String& text)
   at NLog.Layouts.SimpleLayout.set_Text(String value)
   at NLog.Internal.PropertyHelper.TryNLogSpecificConversion(Type propertyType, String value, Object& newValue, ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory)
   at NLog.Internal.PropertyHelper.SetPropertyFromString(Object obj, String propertyName, String value, ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at NLog.Internal.PropertyHelper.SetPropertyFromString(Object obj, String propertyName, String value, ConfigurationItemFactory configurationItemFactory)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.ConfigureObjectFromAttributes(Object targetObject, NLogXmlElement element, Boolean ignoreType)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.AddArrayItemFromElement(Object o, NLogXmlElement element)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.SetPropertyFromElement(Object o, NLogXmlElement element)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.ParseTargetElement(Target target, NLogXmlElement targetElement)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.ParseTargetsElement(NLogXmlElement targetsElement)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.ParseNLogElement(NLogXmlElement nlogElement, String filePath, Boolean autoReloadDefault)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.ParseTopLevel(NLogXmlElement content, String filePath, Boolean autoReloadDefault)
   at NLog.Config.XmlLoggingConfiguration.Initialize(XmlReader reader, String fileName, Boolean ignoreErrors)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

My nlog.config

<nlog xmlns="http://www.nlog-project.org/schemas/NLog.xsd" 
      xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
      internalLogFile="C:\Github\private\WeBees\WeBees Client\WeBees.Server\Logs\nlog.txt" internalLogLevel="Trace">
  <targets>
    <target name="logfile" xsi:type="File" fileName="C:\Github\private\WeBees\WeBees Client\WeBees.Server\Logs\log.txt" />
    <target xsi:type="ColoredConsole" name="console" />
    <target name="database" xsi:type="Database">
      <!--
  Remarks:
    The appsetting layouts require the NLog.Extended assembly.
    The aspnet-* layouts require the NLog.Web assembly.
    The Application value is determined by an AppName appSetting in Web.config.
    The "NLogDb" connection string determines the database that NLog write to.
    The create dbo.Log script in the comment below must be manually executed.
  -->

      <connectionStringName>dev</connectionStringName>

      <!--
  SET ANSI_NULLS ON
  SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
  CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Log] (
      [Id] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
      [Application] [nvarchar](50) NOT NULL,
      [Logged] [datetime] NOT NULL
    CONSTRAINT [PK_dbo.Log] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([Id] ASC)
      WITH (PAD_INDEX  = OFF, STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE  = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS  = ON, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS  = ON) ON [PRIMARY]
  ) ON [PRIMARY]
  -->

      <commandText>
        insert into dbo.Log (
        Application, Logged
        ) values (
        @Application, @Logged
        );
      </commandText>

      <parameter name="@application" layout="dadasda" />
      <parameter name="@logged" layout="${logged}" />
    </target>
  </targets>
  <rules>
    <logger name="*" minlevel="Info" writeTo="logfile,console" />
  </rules>
</nlog>

If I create the table manually and put constants in layout like in 'application' parameter it works.

I followed the documentation but just can't make it work. I have NLog & NLog.Web extension installed.

Thanks in advance!

Julian Julian · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-12T22:33:58

As the error message suggests, you should define ${logged}, e.g. in your config file:

<nlog xmlns="http://www.nlog-project.org/schemas/NLog.xsd" 
      xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
      internalLogFile="C:\Github\private\WeBees\WeBees Client\WeBees.Server\Logs\nlog.txt" internalLogLevel="Trace">

  <variable name="logged" value="my var" />
  <targets>

Or replace it with another layout renderer, e.g ${message}, see the list of possible layout renderers

About the creation of the table, NLog will only create the table if you provide an install query:

<target xsi:type="Database" name="db">

  <!-- connection string -->
  <dbProvider>System.Data.SqlClient</dbProvider>
  <connectionString>server=.\SQLEXPRESS;database=MyLogs;integrated security=sspi</connectionString>

  <!-- commands to install database -->
  <install-command>
    <text>CREATE DATABASE MyLogs</text>
    <connectionString>server=.\SQLEXPRESS;database=master;integrated security=sspi</connectionString>
    <ignoreFailures>true</ignoreFailures>
  </install-command>

  <install-command>
    <text>
      CREATE TABLE LogEntries(
      id int primary key not null identity(1,1),
      TimeStamp datetime2,
      Message nvarchar(max),
      level nvarchar(10),
      logger nvarchar(128))
    </text>

and call install, c#:

LogManager.Configuration.Install(new InstallationContext()); //install all the targets, e.g. database, eventlogger etc.

nlog database target parameters layout error

1 Answers