Name: dbT83986			Date: 03/09/99

=20
I am resubmitting this bug as it was previously evaluated and
concluded 'not a bug', when it obviously is.

java.util.Properties.load() does not ignore lines containing
whitespace.  If a file has a line with whitespace, and you
load() that file into a properties object, then the properties
object will contain a property with an empty key and value.
Clarification: by 'empty' I mean - new String("")

Code illustrating this follows:
-------------------------------------------------
import java.io.*;
import java.util.Properties;

public class Test
{
  public static void main(String []args)
  {
    Properties prop;

    try {
      // create test file
      File file =3D new File("test.properties");

      // write a single space to the test file
      FileOutputStream fos =3D new FileOutputStream(file);
      fos.write(' ');
      fos.close();

      // test empty properties
      prop =3D new Properties();
      System.out.println("empty properties follows");
      System.out.println(prop);

      // now load the file we just created, into a
      // properties object.
      // the properties object should have no elements,
      // but due to a bug, it has an empty key/value.
      // key =3D "", value =3D ""
      prop =3D new Properties();
      InputStream is =3D new FileInputStream(file);
      prop.load(is);

      System.out.println("properties loaded from file "+
                         "containing a single space");
      System.out.println(prop);

      // cleanup
      file.delete();
    }
    catch(IOException e) {}
  }
}
-------------------------------------------------
Included below is a copy of the email I sent in reply to the
initial evaluation by Gregory Stone.  This was sent two weeks
ago, and as I have not received a reply, I am resubmitting
the bug.
--

Gregory Stone wrote:
>=20
> This is not a bug. The spec clearly states that "if a property name does
> not have a corresponding value, the result is as if the property does not
> exist."

I could not find that in the spec, but if it is indeed part of the spec,
then the implementation does not conform.  A simple test shows that a
file consisting of single property name, e.g. the String "Truth", when
loaded into a Properties object will result in the property being stored
as a key "Truth", and value of the empty string "".  This does not to me,
correspond with "the result is as if the property does not exist".


> This is in the paragraph AFTER it specifies that among the prohibited
> values for a property name is a space.

Where does it state this in the spec?  I am looking at the spec at the
following URL, and I could not find anything to that effect.

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/html/javautil.doc6.html#23061


> I suppose it doesn't make much sense for the property object to conatain =
a
> null key and a null value, but since you couldn't access it anyway (hence
> the phrase 'does not exist') it really doesn't effect anything. We are
> looking at other possible ways to handle a nul/null scenario, but thus fa=
r
> the tradesoffs (such as stricter requirements for property file contents
> and order of text) don't warrant the change just to prevent a null entry.

The property object does not contain a null key and a null value.  It
contains a key being the empty string "", and a value being the empty
string "".
This is different to a null value.  The empty string is equivalent to
doing    new String("")    which will create an object.

This behaviour does affect things.  For example, I can no longer get a
correct count of the number of properties stored in the Properties object,
by invoking the size() method.  To obtain the number of keys, I need to
manually iterate through the properties, only incrementing a counter when t=
he
key is not the empty string.

According to the spec at paragraph 21.6.7
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/html/javautil.doc6.html#23061

      A line that contains only whitespace (=A720.5.19) or whose first
      non-whitespace character is an ASCII # or ! is ignored (thus,
      # or ! indicate comment lines).

So if I interpret this correctly, a line containing a single space characte=
r,
as described in my original bug report, matches the above paragraph, and
should be ignored.  It should *not* generate a property with empty key,
and empty value.

I believe, as I stated in my original bug report, that the behaviour that
is observed, IS a bug, and needs to be fixed.  Please change the state of
this bug report from closed, to open.

Any further questions, please feel free to contact me.

Dion Mendel.
(Review ID: 55044)
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