Name: gm110360 Date: 05/19/2004


FULL PRODUCT VERSION :

java version "1.4.2_01"
ava(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.2_01-b06)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.2_01-b06, mixed mode)

and

java version "1.5.0-beta"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0-beta-b32c)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0-beta-b32c, mixed mode)


ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux 2.4.22-1.2115.nptl #1 Wed Oct 29 15:42:51 EST 2003 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :

Preference Files get corrupt when user input (for pref.-values) contains binary chars.
Related problems:
XMLEncoder vs. XMLDecoders handling of control chars (even as entities) does not match.



STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :


0)open a Preferences mapping, using
 myPrefs = Preferences.getUserNodeForPackage(..) or a similar method.

1) set a Preference s value to some string containing control characters, using
myPrefs.set("somekey", "\003somevalue");

2) reopen the Preferences again (e.g. in a 2nd Programme)

3) try retreiving the value, using myPrefs.get("somekey", "default");



EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
a string value containing control chars.



ACTUAL -


Setting the value gives no warning and no error; the prefs.xml file contains:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE map SYSTEM "http://java.sun.com/dtd/preferences.dtd">
<map MAP_XML_VERSION="1.0"><entry key="str" value="A&#3;Èñȵȭ"/></map>

However the value is ignored when accessing the prefs again. (=> default)



ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :


Rereading the Preferences outputs the following warning:
19-May-2004 11:04:02 java.util.prefs.FileSystemPreferences+8 run
WARNING: Invalid preferences format in /home/asal/.java/.userPrefs/persistence/prefs.xml


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------


package prefstest;
import java.util.prefs.*;

public class PrefsTest {
    public static void main(String[]args) {
        Preferences myPrefs = Preferences.userNodeForPackage(PrefsTest.class);
        System.out.println(myPrefs.get("str", "default"));
        myPrefs.put( "str", "ABC\003" ); }
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :

(a) make sure to store all string as byte arrays, when control chars can not be excluded

strangely, Preference sets written by java 1.5 can be read by java 1.4.2;
but 1.5 and 1.4 can not read preference sets written by themselves.
(Incident Review ID: 270381)
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