23106 - Too many prefs get written to prefs.js

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(SeaMonkey :: Preferences, defect, P3)

Description

[Henrik Gemal]

I have a clean prefs.js and go into the debug area of the prefs UI and enable
"browser(mem) cache". Now after I close Mozilla my prefs.js correctly
go the:
user_pref("browser.cache.enable", true);
but it also got a bunch of other prefs in it:
user_pref("nglayout.debug.crossing_event_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.disable_xul_cache", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.enable_xpcom_refcnt_log", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.event_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.invalidate_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.motion_event_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.paint_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.paint_flashing", false);
user_pref("nglayout.widget.debugWindow", false);

Why not just write the ones that I actually changed, instead of writting all
kind of prefs that might change default setting in the future?!

Using build 2000040116 on Win98

Comment 1

[matt]

This needs to be added to all.js

Comment 2

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

yup. I need to add dirty-detection to the prefwindow. this'll come next.

Comment 3

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

holding fix in tree for m14 opening...

Comment 4

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

fix checked in...

Comment 5

[sairuh (rarely reading bugmail)]

reopening since this still occurs for me on linux and winNT (2000-0200209 and
2000-020108 comm bits, resp.).

what i do:
1. check my prefs.js and verify that there aren't any lines referring to
nglayout.debug.
2. open up Preferences.
3. select the Debug category, but do anything.
4. close Preferences by clicking OK.
5. shutdown seamonkey.
6. check my prefs.js file for additional entries.

result: there are now additional lines referring to the debug stuff --not the
same as originally reported, but they shouldn't be there at all, should they,
since i didn't change anything?

user_pref("nglayout.debug.disable_xul_cache", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.enable_xpcom_refcnt_log", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.invalidate_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.motion_event_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.paint_dumping", false);
user_pref("nglayout.debug.paint_flashing", false);
user_pref("nglayout.widget.debugWindow", false);

Comment 6

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

this is because these prefs do not have representation in the defaults pref 
files (all.js etc, under default/pref in the dist folder), not because of the 
prefwindow itself.

Here's how my checking algorithm works for boolean checkbox prefs like this:

look up the pref to see if either a user pref or a default pref exists
if one does, and its value is identical, don't set anything.
if one does exist and the value is different, set the pref, or if the pref does 
not exist in user or default pref files, set the pref.

what is happening here is that the pref does not exist in defaults or user 
prefs, so any value is going to be different so I just set it. I'm not going to 
change this behaviour as it would then force people to create defaults for 
certain types of prefs where it isn't really required. I considered briefly 
making defaults for these debug prefs but realised they probably wont be needed 
in a shipping UI, so decided not to adjust all.js. 

If you note this with any legitimate, shipping prefs panels, let me know and 
I'll create some defaults for them to prevent this occurring. 

Comment 7

[leger]

Bulk move of all Pref UI component bugs to new Preferences component.  Pref UI 
component will be deleted.

Comment 8

[sairuh (rarely reading bugmail)]

verif.