Question

Limilabs.Mail.Log.Enabled = true is not working.

https://www.limilabs.com/blog/logging-in-mail-dll
I tried everything given in above link.

Limilabs.Mail.Log.Enabled = true;
AddressValidator validator = new AddressValidator();
var emailValidationResult = validator.Validate(email);

//Log.WriteLine += Console.WriteLine;  // incorrect, move to 2nd line

...

Answer 1

There are several ways to gather Mail.dll logs. The first step is always the same: logging must be turned on either by using code:

Limilabs.Mail.Log.Enabled = true;

or in configuration file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <system.diagnostics>

      <switches>
        <add name="Mail.dll" value="Verbose" />
      </switches>

    </system.diagnostics>
</configuration>

Then you can decide if you want to use:

• standard .NET logging infrastructure (system.diagnostics namespace),
• log4net,
• Log.WriteLine event.

---

The simplest way is to subscribe to Log.WriteLine event.

Limilabs.Mail.Log.WriteLine += line => 
    {  
        // write line to file, 
        // or use your logging infrastructure to save line.
        Console.WrtieLine(line);
    };

You need to subscribe to this event BEFORE the action you want to gather logs for.

---

Most efficient way to log to file is to use standard .NET logging and log to specific file using app.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <system.diagnostics>

        <trace autoflush="true"/>

        <switches>
            <!-- Turns on Mail.dll logging. -->
            <add name="Mail.dll" value="Verbose"/>
        </switches>

        <sources>
            <source name="Mail.dll">
                <listeners>
                    <add name="MailLogFile"/>
                </listeners>
            </source>
        </sources>

        <sharedListeners>
            <add 
                name="MailLogFile" 
                type="System.Diagnostics.TextWriterTraceListener" 
                initializeData="c:\folder-with-write-access\mail.log"/>
        </sharedListeners>

    </system.diagnostics>
</configuration>

---

Sample log4net app.config configuration:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section 
         name="log4net" 
         type="log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net" 
         requirePermission="false"/>
  </configSections>

  <system.diagnostics>
        <switches>
            <!-- Turns on Mail.dll logging. -->
            <add name="Mail.dll" value="Verbose"/>
        </switches>
  </system.diagnostics>

  <log4net>
    <appender name="FileAppender" 
              type="log4net.Appender.RollingFileAppender">
      <immediateFlush value="true" />
      <file value="log.txt"/>
      <appendToFile value="false" />
      <maxSizeRollBackups value="5"/>
      <rollingStyle value="once"/>
      <staticLogFileName value="false"/>
      <lockingModel type="log4net.Appender.FileAppender+MinimalLock"/>
      <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">
        <conversionPattern value="%thread %date - %message%newline"/>
      </layout>
    </appender>

    <root>
      <level value="INFO" />
      <appender-ref ref="FileAppender" />
    </root>
  </log4net>

</configuration>

Remember to use:

log4net.Config.XmlConfigurator.Configure();