Unable to log date with milliseconds

[IVolzhev]

Description

Unable to log date with milliseconds.

While trying to log error message with

PatternLayout "%date{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.nnn} %-7level | %m%n"
got error message:

2025-12-23T11:51:11.882Z Test worker ERROR An exception occurred processing Appender console
java.time.DateTimeException: Field NanoOfSecond cannot be printed as the value 881000000 exceeds the maximum print width of 3

Configuration

Version: Log4j 2.25.3

Operating system: AlmaLinux 9

JDK: openjdk version "1.8.0_452"

Logs

2025-12-23T11:51:11.882Z Test worker ERROR An exception occurred processing Appender console
java.time.DateTimeException: Field NanoOfSecond cannot be printed as the value 881000000 exceeds the maximum print width of 3
	at java.time.format.DateTimeFormatterBuilder$NumberPrinterParser.format(DateTimeFormatterBuilder.java:2559)
	at java.time.format.DateTimeFormatterBuilder$CompositePrinterParser.format(DateTimeFormatterBuilder.java:2190)
	at java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter.formatTo(DateTimeFormatter.java:1746)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.util.internal.instant.InstantPatternDynamicFormatter$DynamicPatternSequence$1.formatTo(InstantPatternDynamicFormatter.java:624)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.util.internal.instant.InstantPatternDynamicFormatter$4.formatTo(InstantPatternDynamicFormatter.java:207)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.util.internal.instant.InstantPatternDynamicFormatter.formatTo(InstantPatternDynamicFormatter.java:89)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.pattern.DatePatternConverter.format(DatePatternConverter.java:278)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.pattern.DatePatternConverter.format(DatePatternConverter.java:252)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.pattern.PatternFormatter.format(PatternFormatter.java:44)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.layout.PatternLayout$PatternFormatterPatternSerializer.toSerializable(PatternLayout.java:396)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.layout.PatternLayout.toText(PatternLayout.java:251)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.layout.PatternLayout.encode(PatternLayout.java:237)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.layout.PatternLayout.encode(PatternLayout.java:57)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.AbstractOutputStreamAppender.directEncodeEvent(AbstractOutputStreamAppender.java:227)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.AbstractOutputStreamAppender.tryAppend(AbstractOutputStreamAppender.java:220)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.appender.AbstractOutputStreamAppender.append(AbstractOutputStreamAppender.java:211)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AppenderControl.tryCallAppender(AppenderControl.java:160)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AppenderControl.callAppender0(AppenderControl.java:133)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AppenderControl.callAppenderPreventRecursion(AppenderControl.java:124)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AppenderControl.callAppender(AppenderControl.java:88)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig.callAppenders(LoggerConfig.java:711)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig.processLogEvent(LoggerConfig.java:669)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig.log(LoggerConfig.java:645)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.LoggerConfig.log(LoggerConfig.java:589)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.AwaitCompletionReliabilityStrategy.log(AwaitCompletionReliabilityStrategy.java:92)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.core.Logger.log(Logger.java:187)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLogger.tryLogMessage(AbstractLogger.java:2970)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLogger.logMessageTrackRecursion(AbstractLogger.java:2922)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLogger.logMessageSafely(AbstractLogger.java:2904)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLogger.logMessage(AbstractLogger.java:2648)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLogger.logIfEnabled(AbstractLogger.java:2587)
	at org.apache.logging.log4j.spi.AbstractLogger.error(AbstractLogger.java:814)
	at ru.vasexperts.oima.ctlc.logging.TimestampLoggingTest.testTimestampLogging(TimestampLoggingTest.java:42)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
	at org.junit.platform.commons.util.ReflectionUtils.invokeMethod(ReflectionUtils.java:728)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.MethodInvocation.proceed(MethodInvocation.java:60)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain$ValidatingInvocation.proceed(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:131)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.extension.TimeoutExtension.intercept(TimeoutExtension.java:156)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.extension.TimeoutExtension.interceptTestableMethod(TimeoutExtension.java:147)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.extension.TimeoutExtension.interceptTestMethod(TimeoutExtension.java:86)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InterceptingExecutableInvoker$ReflectiveInterceptorCall.lambda$ofVoidMethod$0(InterceptingExecutableInvoker.java:103)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InterceptingExecutableInvoker.lambda$invoke$0(InterceptingExecutableInvoker.java:93)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain$InterceptedInvocation.proceed(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:106)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain.proceed(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:64)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain.chainAndInvoke(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:45)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InvocationInterceptorChain.invoke(InvocationInterceptorChain.java:37)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InterceptingExecutableInvoker.invoke(InterceptingExecutableInvoker.java:92)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.execution.InterceptingExecutableInvoker.invoke(InterceptingExecutableInvoker.java:86)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.lambda$invokeTestMethod$7(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:218)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.invokeTestMethod(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:214)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.execute(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:139)
	at org.junit.jupiter.engine.descriptor.TestMethodTestDescriptor.execute(TestMethodTestDescriptor.java:69)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$6(NodeTestTask.java:151)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$8(NodeTestTask.java:141)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.Node.around(Node.java:137)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$9(NodeTestTask.java:139)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.executeRecursively(NodeTestTask.java:138)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.execute(NodeTestTask.java:95)
	at java.util.ArrayList.forEach(ArrayList.java:1259)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.invokeAll(SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.java:41)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$6(NodeTestTask.java:155)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$8(NodeTestTask.java:141)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.Node.around(Node.java:137)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$9(NodeTestTask.java:139)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.executeRecursively(NodeTestTask.java:138)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.execute(NodeTestTask.java:95)
	at java.util.ArrayList.forEach(ArrayList.java:1259)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.invokeAll(SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.java:41)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$6(NodeTestTask.java:155)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$8(NodeTestTask.java:141)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.Node.around(Node.java:137)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.lambda$executeRecursively$9(NodeTestTask.java:139)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.ThrowableCollector.execute(ThrowableCollector.java:73)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.executeRecursively(NodeTestTask.java:138)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.NodeTestTask.execute(NodeTestTask.java:95)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.submit(SameThreadHierarchicalTestExecutorService.java:35)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.HierarchicalTestExecutor.execute(HierarchicalTestExecutor.java:57)
	at org.junit.platform.engine.support.hierarchical.HierarchicalTestEngine.execute(HierarchicalTestEngine.java:54)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:107)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:88)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.lambda$execute$0(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:54)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.withInterceptedStreams(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:67)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.EngineExecutionOrchestrator.execute(EngineExecutionOrchestrator.java:52)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncher.java:114)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncher.java:86)
	at org.junit.platform.launcher.core.DefaultLauncherSession$DelegatingLauncher.execute(DefaultLauncherSession.java:86)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.junitplatform.JUnitPlatformTestClassProcessor$CollectAllTestClassesExecutor.processAllTestClasses(JUnitPlatformTestClassProcessor.java:124)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.junitplatform.JUnitPlatformTestClassProcessor$CollectAllTestClassesExecutor.access$000(JUnitPlatformTestClassProcessor.java:99)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.junitplatform.JUnitPlatformTestClassProcessor.stop(JUnitPlatformTestClassProcessor.java:94)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.SuiteTestClassProcessor.stop(SuiteTestClassProcessor.java:63)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
	at org.gradle.internal.dispatch.ReflectionDispatch.dispatch(ReflectionDispatch.java:36)
	at org.gradle.internal.dispatch.ReflectionDispatch.dispatch(ReflectionDispatch.java:24)
	at org.gradle.internal.dispatch.ContextClassLoaderDispatch.dispatch(ContextClassLoaderDispatch.java:33)
	at org.gradle.internal.dispatch.ProxyDispatchAdapter$DispatchingInvocationHandler.invoke(ProxyDispatchAdapter.java:92)
	at com.sun.proxy.$Proxy4.stop(Unknown Source)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.worker.TestWorker$3.run(TestWorker.java:200)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.worker.TestWorker.executeAndMaintainThreadName(TestWorker.java:132)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.worker.TestWorker.execute(TestWorker.java:103)
	at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.worker.TestWorker.execute(TestWorker.java:63)
	at org.gradle.process.internal.worker.child.ActionExecutionWorker.execute(ActionExecutionWorker.java:56)
	at org.gradle.process.internal.worker.child.SystemApplicationClassLoaderWorker.call(SystemApplicationClassLoaderWorker.java:121)
	at org.gradle.process.internal.worker.child.SystemApplicationClassLoaderWorker.call(SystemApplicationClassLoaderWorker.java:71)
	at worker.org.gradle.process.internal.worker.GradleWorkerMain.run(GradleWorkerMain.java:69)
	at worker.org.gradle.process.internal.worker.GradleWorkerMain.main(GradleWorkerMain.java:74)

Reproduction

Unit test:

package test.logging;

import org.apache.logging.log4j.Level;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Configuration;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.builder.api.ConfigurationBuilder;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.builder.api.ConfigurationBuilderFactory;
import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.builder.impl.BuiltConfiguration;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;

public class TimestampLoggingTest {
    @Test void testTimestampLogging() {
        final ConfigurationBuilder<BuiltConfiguration> configBuilder = ConfigurationBuilderFactory.newConfigurationBuilder();

        configBuilder
            .add(
                configBuilder
                    .newAppender("console", "Console")
                    .add(
                        configBuilder
                            .newLayout("PatternLayout")
                            .addAttribute(
                                "pattern",
                                "%date{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.nnn} %-7level | %m%n"
                            )
                    )
            )
            .add(
                configBuilder
                    .newRootLogger()
                    .add(configBuilder.newAppenderRef("console").addAttribute("level", Level.INFO))
            );

        final Configuration configuration = configBuilder.build();

        org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Configurator.reconfigure(configuration);

        final Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger(TimestampLoggingTest.class);

        logger.error("Some error");
    }
}

[IVolzhev]

It works on log4j 2.24.3

[vy]

@IVolzhev, thanks so much for the report. Log4j 2.25.0 had a major face lift to its date & time formatting routines — see the associated release notes. All formatting directives are aligned to behave like DateTimeFormatter. As a result, certain directives (e.g., n) started behaving differently. I suggest you to replace your date & time formatting pattern with one of the following instead:

1. yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS
2. yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.n

I expect this to fix your issue, and hence, I'm closing the issue. If you disagree, please feel free to reach out.