public  void activateOptions() 
{
    try {
      sh = new SocketHandler(port);
      sh.start();
    }
    catch(Exception e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
    }
    super.activateOptions();
}

all of the options have been set, create the socket handler and wait for connections.

 protected  void append(LoggingEvent event) 
{
    sh.send(this.layout.format(event));
    if(layout.ignoresThrowable()) {
      String[] s = event.getThrowableStrRep();
      if (s != null) {
	int len = s.length;
	for(int i = 0; i <  len; i++) {
	  sh.send(s[i]);
	  sh.send(Layout.LINE_SEP);
	}
      }
    }
}

Handles a log event. For this appender, that means writing the message to each connected client.

 public  void close() 
{
    if (sh != null) {
        sh.close();
        try {
            sh.join();
        } catch(InterruptedException ex) {
        }
    }
}

shuts down the appender.

 public int getPort() 
{
    return port;
}

 public boolean requiresLayout() 
{
                           
    return true;
}

This appender requires a layout to format the text to the attached client(s).

 public  void setPort(int port) 
{
    this.port = port;
}