472628 - NS_MSG_ERROR_FOLDER_SUMMARY_MISSING description incorrect

Status: NEW

(MailNews Core :: Database, defect)

Description

[Kent James (:rkent)]

Maybe I'm missing something, but the descriptions given to NS_MSG_ERROR_FOLDER_SUMMARY_MISSING in bug 437886 don't appear correct to me. These are in file nsIMsgDatabase.idl

In interface nsIMsgDatabase.open it says:

   * @exception NS_MSG_ERROR_FOLDER_SUMMARY_MISSING
   *                        The database is present (and was opened), but the
   *                        summary file is missing.

But that is only true if aCreate is true. If aCreate is false, then the database is not present nor opened, yet that is the error returned.

Similarly for nsIMsgDBService.openFolderDB, it says:

   * @exception NS_MSG_ERROR_FOLDER_SUMMARY_MISSING
   *                        The database is present, but the summary file is
   *                        missing.

Yet if the "summary file" is missing (by which I assume you mean the .msf file for the folder) then "database is present" is not correct. The database is neither opened, nor does it have any file, so how is it "present"?

Yes I realize that the definitions of NS_MSG_ERROR_FOLDER_SUMMARY_MISSING, and NS_MSG_ERROR_FOLDER_SUMMARY_OUT_OF_DATE are extremely confusing, and seem to be reinterpreted by each layer of subroutine. I'm not sure it is possible to document them clearly without writing a book - but incorrect or misleading documentation can only contribute to the problem.