1240197 - Base64Encode and Base64Decode arguments are confusingly named in Base64.h and Base64.cpp

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Core :: XPCOM, defect)

Description

[Dana Keeler (she/her) (use needinfo) [:keeler] (on leave)]

Base64.h:

nsresult
Base64Encode(const nsACString& aString, nsACString& aBinary);
nsresult
Base64Encode(const nsAString& aString, nsAString& aBinaryData);

nsresult
Base64Decode(const nsACString& aBinaryData, nsACString& aString);
nsresult
Base64Decode(const nsAString& aBinaryData, nsAString& aString);

(Note that in each case the second argument is the output argument.)

The Base64Encode arguments are confusing because what's happening (unless I'm misunderstanding what base64 encoding is supposed to do) is a conversion from binary data to an ascii representation (which is the exact opposite of what the arguments describe).

Similarly, for Base64Decode, what's happening is a conversion from an ascii representation to binary data (again the opposite of what the arguments describe.

Base64.cpp has a similar problem, but only for 2 of the 4 functions.

Comment 1

[:Cykesiopka]

It looks like this was fixed in part 1 of Bug 1273712:
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/1e1e0b415418