727450 - Missing DTDs do not raise undefined entity errors from overlays (or maybe context menus)

Status: NEW

(Core :: XUL, defect)

Description

[Mike Ratcliffe [:miker] [:mratcliffe] [:mikeratcliffe]]

In some circumstances when a missing DTD has been included by a XUL file no undefined entity errors are displayed. This issue is present if you follow these steps:
1. Start Firefox
2. Open Scratchpad from the web developer menu
3. With the content area of Scratchpad focused press <ctrl> + <f> ... a find dialog will be displayed.
4. Close Firefox
5. Open browser/devtools/sourceeditor/source-editor-overlay.xul
6. Change this:
   <!DOCTYPE overlay SYSTEM "chrome://browser/locale/devtools/sourceeditor.dtd">
   To:
   <!DOCTYPE overlay SYSTEM "chrome://browser/locale/devtools/sourcexxxeditor.dtd">
7. Rebuild
8. Start Firefox
9. Open Scratchpad from the web developer menu
10. With the content area of Scratchpad focused press <ctrl> + <f>

No find dialog will be displayed and also no errors about the missing dtd / entities. I suspect that the lack of any undefined entity error is either 1. because we are in an overlay or 2. because the entities are part of a context menu

Surely the missing DTD should cause some noise?

Comment 1

[Mihai Sucan [:msucan]]

This happens even when you use a DTD in XUL. It doesn't have to be in an overlay. There's no error telling the developer that the DTD is missing.

The missing entities is more interesting, because those should show an error, and they seem to be a specific problem related to overlays.

Comment 2

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

There should be a missing entity error on the console, you just don't get the yellow popup. The yellow popup doesn't happen with overlays.