| Format of Help contexts XML file [message #472378] |
Wed, 12 March 2008 16:47  |
Eclipse User |
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I've found that the Help system is very sensitive about the format of
the contexts XML file and I'd like to know if this is something that has
already been documented or discussed (before I go and enter a
bug/enhancement request).
The problems seem to only crop up when using custom Help context IDs in
TrayDialogs. If the <description> node is missing or empty, the tray
dialog help fails in various ways.
Example 1 - a contexts file that is missing <description> altogether
produces NPE when trying to open the Help tray.
Example 2 - a contexts file that has empty <description> nodes (as in
either <description /> or <description></description> ) causes the tray
help to respond with the built-in message that no help topics are
defined for the context ID.
It seems that both of these tend to violate the Principle of Least
Surprise or the Leniency Principle ("be lenient in what you accept and
strict in what you emit"). I mean, without the benefit of a DTD or
schema to dictate the format, is it unreasonable for the code to have a
little more leniency?
Eric
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| Re: Format of Help contexts XML file [message #472381 is a reply to message #472378] |
Fri, 14 March 2008 15:58  |
| Eclipse User |
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Originally posted by: nospam_kowalskilee.gmail.com
Hi Eric,
I'm going to leave the "should be more lenient" question for the Eclipse
UA team.
Looking at Bugzilla though, I'm not sure what is making the TrayDialogs
a special case.
Bug 197250 seems to indicate that a patch was done for all of the other
reported bugs related to missing or empty <description> and a fix for 3.3.1:
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=197250
I did a Bugzilla Eclipse/Platform/User Assistance query for "context"
and "description":
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/buglist.cgi?query_format=advan ced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=contex t+description&classification=Eclipse&product=Platfor m&component=User+Assistance&long_desc_type=allwordss ubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&am p;bug_file_loc=&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubstr&am p;status_whiteboard=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords =&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substr ing&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes= &chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&cm dtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0 -0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0=
(TinyURL is: http://tinyurl.com/2r3u3e)
There are 8 bugs found, but most seem to be duplicates and fixed by bug
197250.
Bug 92058 has the comments about <description> being spec'd optional. I
found the history interesting (maybe because it's Friday and I'm
prepping for EclipseCon and have UA on the brain).
Best regards,
Lee Anne
Eric Rizzo wrote:
> I've found that the Help system is very sensitive about the format of
> the contexts XML file and I'd like to know if this is something that has
> already been documented or discussed (before I go and enter a
> bug/enhancement request).
> The problems seem to only crop up when using custom Help context IDs in
> TrayDialogs. If the <description> node is missing or empty, the tray
> dialog help fails in various ways.
>
> Example 1 - a contexts file that is missing <description> altogether
> produces NPE when trying to open the Help tray.
>
> Example 2 - a contexts file that has empty <description> nodes (as in
> either <description /> or <description></description> ) causes the tray
> help to respond with the built-in message that no help topics are
> defined for the context ID.
>
> It seems that both of these tend to violate the Principle of Least
> Surprise or the Leniency Principle ("be lenient in what you accept and
> strict in what you emit"). I mean, without the benefit of a DTD or
> schema to dictate the format, is it unreasonable for the code to have a
> little more leniency?
>
> Eric
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| Re: Format of Help contexts XML file [message #610605 is a reply to message #472378] |
Fri, 14 March 2008 15:58 |
| Eclipse User |
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Originally posted by: nospam_kowalskilee.gmail.com
Hi Eric,
I'm going to leave the "should be more lenient" question for the Eclipse
UA team.
Looking at Bugzilla though, I'm not sure what is making the TrayDialogs
a special case.
Bug 197250 seems to indicate that a patch was done for all of the other
reported bugs related to missing or empty <description> and a fix for 3.3.1:
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=197250
I did a Bugzilla Eclipse/Platform/User Assistance query for "context"
and "description":
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/buglist.cgi?query_format=advan ced&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr&short_desc=contex t+description&classification=Eclipse&product=Platfor m&component=User+Assistance&long_desc_type=allwordss ubstr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr&am p;bug_file_loc=&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubstr&am p;status_whiteboard=&keywords_type=allwords&keywords =&emailtype1=substring&email1=&emailtype2=substr ing&email2=&bugidtype=include&bug_id=&votes= &chfieldfrom=&chfieldto=Now&chfieldvalue=&cm dtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+sort+as+last+time&field0 -0-0=noop&type0-0-0=noop&value0-0-0=
(TinyURL is: http://tinyurl.com/2r3u3e)
There are 8 bugs found, but most seem to be duplicates and fixed by bug
197250.
Bug 92058 has the comments about <description> being spec'd optional. I
found the history interesting (maybe because it's Friday and I'm
prepping for EclipseCon and have UA on the brain).
Best regards,
Lee Anne
Eric Rizzo wrote:
> I've found that the Help system is very sensitive about the format of
> the contexts XML file and I'd like to know if this is something that has
> already been documented or discussed (before I go and enter a
> bug/enhancement request).
> The problems seem to only crop up when using custom Help context IDs in
> TrayDialogs. If the <description> node is missing or empty, the tray
> dialog help fails in various ways.
>
> Example 1 - a contexts file that is missing <description> altogether
> produces NPE when trying to open the Help tray.
>
> Example 2 - a contexts file that has empty <description> nodes (as in
> either <description /> or <description></description> ) causes the tray
> help to respond with the built-in message that no help topics are
> defined for the context ID.
>
> It seems that both of these tend to violate the Principle of Least
> Surprise or the Leniency Principle ("be lenient in what you accept and
> strict in what you emit"). I mean, without the benefit of a DTD or
> schema to dictate the format, is it unreasonable for the code to have a
> little more leniency?
>
> Eric
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