171883 - xp_path.h can be removed

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(SeaMonkey :: Build Config, defect, P5)

Description

[Jörg Brunsmann]

The file

http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/include/xp_path.h

is included only in two places. First, ut is included in

/content/html/content/src/nsFormSubmission.cpp 

where the macros of xp_path are not used. Also, 
xp_path.h is included in

/modules/oji/src/nsJVMManager.cpp

where some macros are used. But these macros
can be exchanged by the equivalent definitions
from NSPR. After that, xp_path.h can be deleted.

Comment 1

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

IIRC, the NSPR macros that xp_path.h duplicates are not available from public
headers so the file itself cannot be removed if people are still using it.

Comment 2

[Jörg Brunsmann]

Adding [e-mail] to cc list.
jkeiser: is it possible for you to delete this line
http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/content/html/content/src/nsFormSubmissio
n.cpp#56

Comment 3

[Jörg Brunsmann]

There are possibilities:

1. xp_path.h defines system dependent path and directory separator. The 
directory separator is available here

http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/nsprpub/pr/include/prsystem.h#51

The function NSPR_API(char) PR_GetPathSeparator(void) is missing, but could be 
added.

2. Move the SEPARATOR definitions from xp_path.h to 

http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/modules/oji/src/nsJVMManager.cpp .

That this is no problem, can be verified by searching lxr.mozilla.org for 
SEPARATOR to see that other .cpp-files define their own SEPARATOR characters. 
 

Comment 4

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

1) You're talking about changing the NSPR API to expose that extra function. 
You would have to get buy-in from the NSPR owners for that.
2) This is the easiest solution but not the correct one.  I see _SEPARATOR being
defined in a standalone programs (nsinstall) and standalone libraries (nspr,
xpcom & js).  OJI is neither; it should be using the definitions from one of the
previously mentioned libraries since it depends upon them all.

Comment 5

[Wan-Teh Chang]

It seems fine to add a new PR_GetPathSeparator function.
I am worried that that function is not that useful
because the directory and path separators NSPR uses on
the Mac are Unix-centric and may not be what you want.

Comment 6

[John Keiser (jkeiser)]

It is most likely possible to remove that #include, yes.

Comment 7

[Jörg Brunsmann]

Ok, there's consensus for a new nspr function.

If I understand correctly the definitions found in directory

nsprpub/pr/include/

for the files _beos.h, _os2.h, _macos.h and _winnt.h

match those unix-centric mac definitions found in xp_path.h

jkeiser: can you or someone else please remove the #include. Thanks.

Comment 8

[John Keiser (jkeiser)]

Such a new function would be good too, IIRC we do funky platform-specific path
stuff in nsLocalFile.

As to removing #include xp_path.h, wouldn't it be simpler if whoever removes the
file also removes the include?  I don't really see the need to go through two
separate write/build/r=/sr=/commit cycles for what is essentially a single
patch.  If I'm missing some crucial element here, let me know.

Comment 9

[Jörg Brunsmann]

The semantic of path and directory separator differ in xp_path.h and
http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/xpcom/io/nsLocalFileCommon.cpp#125 .

Furthermore, xp_path.h defines both PR_PATH_[DIRECTORY|SEPARATOR]_STR and
PATH_[DIRECTORY|SEPARATOR]_STR for XP_MAC. 

My understanding is as follows: a directory separator separates directory names
in absolute file names (in java: file.separator). A path separator separates
several directories (in java: path.separator) in a complete path specification.
The names DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR and PATH_SEPARATOR may be disleading.
FILE_SEPARATOR and PATH_SEPARATOR might be a better solution. What is your
perception?

Also there's a difference in the definition in MAXPATHLEN for XP_MAC: it's 512
in xp_path.h and 31 in nsLocalFileCommon.cpp. Perhaps an additional function
NSPR_API(int) PR_GetMaxPathLen(void) makes sense.

Being pragmatic I suggest to leave out the definitions in nsLocalFileCommon.cpp
for now and open another bug for merging all definitions of SEPARATORs and
PATHLENs and just pay attention to get rid of xp_path.h

Comment 10

[Jörg Brunsmann]

Goal: get rid of xp_path.h
Barrier: /modules/oji/src/nsJVMManager.cpp
Pragmatic solution: Upcoming patch

Comment 11

[Jörg Brunsmann]

Attachment: reduce usage of SEPARATORs to minimum

Comment 12

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

Comment on attachment 101812 [details] [diff] [review]
reduce usage of SEPARATORs to minimum

Why are you commenting out the GetClasspathAdditions function?

Comment 13

[Jörg Brunsmann]

I commented out the GetClasspathAdditions function because it's not referenced. 
And since this function uses the PR_PATH_SEPARATOR preprocessor macro, deleting 
this function would reduce the usage of the macros defined in xp_path.h to only 
one macro (PR_DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR). If removing this function is not wanted, 
one has to define the macro PR_PATH_SEPARATOR as well in nsJVMManager.cpp. Both 
ways are ok, since one can still remove xp_path.h.

Someone with deeper knowledge of nsJVMManager.cpp has to decide what to do, 
since it's the only file which uses xp_path.h. This person might also detect 
whether the nsJVMManager.cpp code will work on a mac given the unix-style 
SEPARATOR definitions from xp_path.h or if some conversions (see
http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/modules/oji/src/nsJVMManager.cpp#103)
should apply, like NSPR code does.

BTW: The '#ifdef 0' in the patch should read '#if 0' .

Comment 14

[Joe Chou]

Checked with the Java plugin group to see if xp_path.h was referenced in Java
plugin code. The answer is No.

Comment 15

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

GetClasspathAdditions may not be directly referenced by any Mozilla code but
since it *is* part of the exported interface, it may be used by 3rd party
modules (in particular, the java plugin_.  Removing an interface function just
because it references an otherwise inconsequential define seems like an
extremely bad idea.  We don't need to get rid of xp_path.h that badly.

Comment 16

[Joe Chou]

Currently, xp_path.h is used in oji module (some separators defined in xp_path.h
are used in nsJVMManager.cpp). OJI is being re-designed at the moment, so untill
the re-design is done,I don't think it would be a good idea to make any changes
to make removing xp_path.h possible. 
Ccing Patrick to see if any implication on Mac's Java plugin as well.

Comment 17

[Christian :Biesinger (don't email me, ping me on IRC)]

also see bug 173634

Comment 18

[Brendan Eich [:brendan]]

Can we pull this in to 1.3?

/be

Comment 19

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

Attachment: Add PR_GetPathSeparator

Comment 20

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

Attachment: bye xp_path.h

Comment 21

[Alec Flett]

Comment on attachment 119039 [details] [diff] [review]
bye xp_path.h

sr=alecf

Comment 22

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

Attachment: Update .def file too

Comment 23

[Wan-Teh Chang]

Comment on attachment 119373 [details] [diff] [review]
Update .def file too

>+/*
>+** Get the host' path separator.
>+**  Pathnames are then assumed to be of the form:
>+**      [<sep><root_component><sep>]*(<component><sep>)<leaf_name>
>+*/
>+
>+NSPR_API(char) PR_GetPathSeparator(void);

The comment was copied from PR_GetDirectorySeparator.  It needs
to be rewritten for PR_GetPathSeparator.

Everything else is good.

Comment 24

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

Attachment: Corrected description

*whistles*

Comment 25

[Wan-Teh Chang]

Comment on attachment 119381 [details] [diff] [review]
Corrected description

r=wtc.

Comment 26

[hacker formerly known as [e-mail]]

The patches have been checked in on the mozilla trunk, nspr client branch & nspr
trunk.