The platform `snprintf/vsnprintf` returns -1 on error, else if the buffer is large enough returns the number of bytes written (excluding the null byte), else (buffer is too small) the number of characters (excluding the terminating null byte) which would have been written to the final string if enough space had been available. Thus, a return value of size or more means that the output was truncated.
To provide a consistent approach to error handling and truncation management, we provide `os::xxx` wrapper functions as described below and forbid the use of the library `::vsnprintf` and `::snprintf`.
The potential errors are, generally speaking, not something we should encounter in our own well-written code:
- encoding error: not applicable as we are not using extended character sets
- invalid parameters (null buffers, specifying a limit > size of the buffer [Windows], things of this nature)
- mal-formed formatting directives
- overflow error (POSIX) if the required buffer size exceeds INT_MAX (as we return `int`).
As these should simply never occur, we handle the checks for -1 at the lowest-level (`os::vsnprintf`) with an assertion, and accompanying precondition assertions.
The potential clients of this API then fall into a number of camps:
1. Those who have sized their buffer correctly, don't need the return value for subsequent use, and for whom truncation (if it were possible) would be a programming error.
For these clients we have `void os::snprintf_checked` - which returns nothing and asserts on truncation.
2. Those who have sized their buffer correctly, but do need the return value for subsequent operations (e.g. chains of `snprintf` where you advance the buffer pointer based on previous writes), but again for whom truncation should never happen.
For these clients we have `os::snprintf`, but they have to add their own assertion for no truncation.
3. Those who present a buffer but know that truncation is a possibility, but don't need to do anything about it themselves, and for whom the return value is of no use.
These clients also use `os::snprintf_checked`. The truncation assertion can be useful for guiding buffer sizing decisions, but in product mode truncation is not an error.
4. Those who present a buffer but know that truncation is a possibility, and either need to handle it themselves, or else need to use the return value in subsequent operations.
These clients are also directed to use `os::snprintf`.
In summary we provide the following API:
- `[[nodiscard]] int os::vsnprintf` is the building block for the other methods, it:
- asserts on precondition failures
- asserts on error
- guarantees null-termination in the case of unexpected errors (as the standards are still unclear on that point
- is declared `[[nodiscard[]]` so that callers cannot ignore the return value (they can explicitly cast to `void` to indicate they dn't need it)
- `void os::snprintf_checked`
- calls `os::vnsprintf`` so asserts on errors
- asserts on truncation
- [[nodiscard]] int os::snprintf
- calls `os::vnsprintf`` so asserts on errors
In terms of the effects on the existing code we:
- Change callers of `::snprintf`/`os::snprintf` that ignore the return value and ensure the buffer is large enough to use `os::snprintf_checked`
- those that allow truncation to happen must use `os::snprintf`.
- Change all callers of `::snprintf`/`os::snprintf` that use the return value to use `os::snprintf`, plus any additional assertions needed
- Change the 9 callers of `os::snprintf_checked` that do use the return value, to use `os::snprintf` with their own assertions added
- Callers of `os::vnsprintf` are adjusted as needed
To provide a consistent approach to error handling and truncation management, we provide `os::xxx` wrapper functions as described below and forbid the use of the library `::vsnprintf` and `::snprintf`.
The potential errors are, generally speaking, not something we should encounter in our own well-written code:
- encoding error: not applicable as we are not using extended character sets
- invalid parameters (null buffers, specifying a limit > size of the buffer [Windows], things of this nature)
- mal-formed formatting directives
- overflow error (POSIX) if the required buffer size exceeds INT_MAX (as we return `int`).
As these should simply never occur, we handle the checks for -1 at the lowest-level (`os::vsnprintf`) with an assertion, and accompanying precondition assertions.
The potential clients of this API then fall into a number of camps:
1. Those who have sized their buffer correctly, don't need the return value for subsequent use, and for whom truncation (if it were possible) would be a programming error.
For these clients we have `void os::snprintf_checked` - which returns nothing and asserts on truncation.
2. Those who have sized their buffer correctly, but do need the return value for subsequent operations (e.g. chains of `snprintf` where you advance the buffer pointer based on previous writes), but again for whom truncation should never happen.
For these clients we have `os::snprintf`, but they have to add their own assertion for no truncation.
3. Those who present a buffer but know that truncation is a possibility, but don't need to do anything about it themselves, and for whom the return value is of no use.
These clients also use `os::snprintf_checked`. The truncation assertion can be useful for guiding buffer sizing decisions, but in product mode truncation is not an error.
4. Those who present a buffer but know that truncation is a possibility, and either need to handle it themselves, or else need to use the return value in subsequent operations.
These clients are also directed to use `os::snprintf`.
In summary we provide the following API:
- `[[nodiscard]] int os::vsnprintf` is the building block for the other methods, it:
- asserts on precondition failures
- asserts on error
- guarantees null-termination in the case of unexpected errors (as the standards are still unclear on that point
- is declared `[[nodiscard[]]` so that callers cannot ignore the return value (they can explicitly cast to `void` to indicate they dn't need it)
- `void os::snprintf_checked`
- calls `os::vnsprintf`` so asserts on errors
- asserts on truncation
- [[nodiscard]] int os::snprintf
- calls `os::vnsprintf`` so asserts on errors
In terms of the effects on the existing code we:
- Change callers of `::snprintf`/`os::snprintf` that ignore the return value and ensure the buffer is large enough to use `os::snprintf_checked`
- those that allow truncation to happen must use `os::snprintf`.
- Change all callers of `::snprintf`/`os::snprintf` that use the return value to use `os::snprintf`, plus any additional assertions needed
- Change the 9 callers of `os::snprintf_checked` that do use the return value, to use `os::snprintf` with their own assertions added
- Callers of `os::vnsprintf` are adjusted as needed
- blocks
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JDK-8198918 jio_snprintf and friends are not checked by -Wformat
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- Open
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- relates to
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JDK-8347719 [REDO] Portable implementation of FORBID_C_FUNCTION and ALLOW_C_FUNCTION
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- Resolved
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JDK-8313396 Portable implementation of FORBID_C_FUNCTION and ALLOW_C_FUNCTION
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- Closed
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