--- log4net-1.2.0-beta8\src\Repository\Hierarchy\DOMHierarchyConfigurator.cs	2003-07-07 21:41:10.000000000 +0200
+++ log4net-1.2.0-beta8.local\src\Repository\Hierarchy\DOMHierarchyConfigurator.cs	2005-03-07 13:48:41.503298300 +0100
@@ -209,19 +209,9 @@
 				// Find the element with that id
 				XmlElement element = null;
 
-				if (appenderName != null && appenderName.Length > 0)
-				{
-					foreach (XmlNode node in appenderRef.OwnerDocument.GetElementsByTagName(APPENDER_TAG))
-					{
-						if (((XmlElement)node).GetAttribute("name") == appenderName)
-						{
-							element = (XmlElement)node;
-							break;
-						}
-					}
-				}
+			    element = FindAppenderElementByReference(appenderRef, appenderName);
 
-				if (element == null) 
+			    if (element == null) 
 				{
 					LogLog.Error("DOMConfigurator: No appender named [" + appenderName + "] could be found."); 
 					return null;
@@ -238,6 +228,24 @@
 			} 
 		}
 
+		private static XmlElement FindAppenderElementByReference(XmlElement appenderRef, string appenderName)
+		{
+			XmlElement element = null;
+			if (appenderName != null && appenderName.Length > 0)
+			{
+				foreach (XmlNode node in appenderRef.OwnerDocument.GetElementsByTagName(APPENDER_TAG))
+				{
+					if (((XmlElement)node).GetAttribute("name") == appenderName)
+					{
+						element = (XmlElement)node;
+						break;
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			return element;
+		}
+
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Parses an appender element.
 		/// </summary>
@@ -245,13 +253,52 @@
 		/// <returns>The appender instance or <c>null</c> when parsing failed.</returns>
 		protected IAppender ParseAppender(XmlElement appenderElement) 
 		{
+			IAppender appender = null;
+			ParseAppender(appenderElement, ref appender, true);
+			return appender;
+		}
+
+
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Parses an appender element.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <param name="appenderElement">The appender element.</param>
+		/// <param name="appender">The appender to modify.</param>
+		/// <param name="activateOptions">Set to FALSE if appender options should not be activated (yet)</param>
+		/// <remarks>
+		/// <para>If no appender is passed, a new appender is created from the type attribute.</para>
+		/// <para>If the appender contains an "extends" attribute, the appender which is extended is parsed first.</para>
+		/// <para>Only the top level appender needs to specify a type attribute.</para>
+		/// </remarks>
+		protected void ParseAppender(XmlElement appenderElement, ref IAppender appender, bool activateOptions)
+		{
 			string appenderName = appenderElement.GetAttribute(NAME_ATTR);
 			string typeName = appenderElement.GetAttribute(TYPE_ATTR);
+			string extendsAppenderName = appenderElement.GetAttribute(EXTENDS_ATTR);
 
-			LogLog.Debug("DOMConfigurator: Loading Appender [" + appenderName + "] type: [" + typeName + "]");
 			try 
 			{
-				IAppender appender = (IAppender)SystemInfo.GetTypeFromString(typeName, true, true).GetConstructor(SystemInfo.EmptyTypes).Invoke(BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance, null, new object[0], CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
+				if (extendsAppenderName != string.Empty)
+				{
+					LogLog.Debug("DOMConfigurator: Loading Appender [" + appenderName + "] extends appender: [" + extendsAppenderName + "]");
+					XmlElement extendsFromAppender = FindAppenderElementByReference(appenderElement, extendsAppenderName);
+					if (extendsFromAppender != null)
+						ParseAppender(extendsFromAppender, ref appender, false);
+					else
+						LogLog.Error("DOMConfigurator: Unable to locate appender " + extendsAppenderName);
+				}
+
+				// Create new appender if we're not modifying an existing one.
+				if (appender == null && typeName != string.Empty)
+				{
+					LogLog.Debug("DOMConfigurator: Loading Appender [" + appenderName + "] type: [" + typeName + "]");
+					appender = (IAppender)SystemInfo.GetTypeFromString(typeName, true, true).GetConstructor(SystemInfo.EmptyTypes).Invoke(BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance, null, new object[0], CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
+				}
+
+				// Bail if no appender was found
+				if (appender == null)
+					return;
+
 				appender.Name = appenderName;
 
 				foreach (XmlNode currentNode in appenderElement.ChildNodes)
@@ -287,19 +334,16 @@
 						}
 					}
 				}
-				if (appender is IOptionHandler) 
+				if (activateOptions && appender is IOptionHandler) 
 				{
 					((IOptionHandler) appender).ActivateOptions();
+					LogLog.Debug("DOMConfigurator: Created Appender [" + appenderName + "]");	
 				}
-
-				LogLog.Debug("DOMConfigurator: Created Appender [" + appenderName + "]");	
-				return appender;
 			}
-				/* Yes, it's ugly.  But all of these exceptions point to the same problem: we can't create an Appender */
+			/* Yes, it's ugly.  But all of these exceptions point to the same problem: we can't create an Appender */
 			catch (Exception oops) 
 			{
 				LogLog.Error("DOMConfigurator: Could not create Appender [" + appenderName + "] of type [" + typeName + "]. Reported error follows.", oops);
-				return null;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -756,6 +800,7 @@
 		private const string LOGGER_TAG					= "logger";
 		private const string NAME_ATTR					= "name";
 		private const string TYPE_ATTR					= "type";
+		private const string EXTENDS_ATTR				= "extends";
 		private const string VALUE_ATTR					= "value";
 		private const string ROOT_TAG					= "root";
 		private const string LEVEL_TAG					= "level";