Revision1: Corrected: RFR 8059557 (XL): Validate JVM Command-Line Flag Arguments

[David Holmes]

On 27/05/2015 11:18 PM, Gerard Ziemski wrote:
>
>
> On 5/26/2015 7:43 PM, David Holmes wrote:
>>>> In globals.hpp, looking at all the "stack parameters" I expect to see a
>>>> constraint function specified somewhere, but there isn't one. So now
>>>> I'm
>>>> a bit confused about how constraint functions are specified and
>>>> used. If
>>>> there has to be a relationship maintained between A, B and C, is the
>>>> constraint function specified for all of them or none of them and
>>>> simply
>>>> executed as post argument processing step? Can you elaborate on when
>>>> constraint functions may be used, and must be used, and how they are
>>>> processed?
>>>>
>>> Constraints were not meant as a framework that imposes restrictions
>>> as to when and how to be used. It’s a helper framework that makes it
>>> easy for a developer to implement the kind of a constraint that a
>>> particular flag(s) demands. The decision as to what goes into it is
>>> left to the engineer responsible for a particular flag. The process
>>> of implementing constraints and ranges is still ongoing for many of
>>> the flags, and there are 3 subtasks tracking the issue. This webrev
>>> covers the introduction of the range/constraint framework and a
>>> subset of ranges/constraints implemented for those flags for which I
>>> was able to find existing ad hoc code or comments describing them.
>>
>> That's not really answering the question. Let me assume from this that
>> the stack parameters have not been updated yet - fine. Now lets
>> suppose that I want to update them using a constraint function. How do
>> I do that? Do I specify the constraint function on each argument
>> involved in the constraint? When will the constraint function be
>> executed?
>
> Constraints are not methods and should not be used to set values - they
> are read-only value verification functions.

Sorry I meant to write "update them to start using a constraint 
function" - I didn't literally mean to update the flag values using the 
constraint function. :)

> Constraints are called whenever the flag in question changes its value
> (via CommandLineFlags::*AtPut  for those flags set by external tools
> like jcmd), and also a final check is run
> (CommandLineFlags::check_all_ranges_and_constraints()) right after
> Arguments::apply_ergo(), at which point it is assumed that all flags
> have their final values set.

Ok. So I would specify the constraint function on each of the flags 
involved. When the flags are processed individually the constraint check 
may not make sense (because they don't have their final values) so the 
constraint function will be predicated on 
CommandLineFlags::finishedInitializing().

> There is Arguments::post_final_range_and_constraint_check() method
> provided for any custom code that can assume that all range and
> constraints checks have been performed at that point and set any
> dependent values. Setting values of the flags themselves, however,
> should be performed before
> CommandLineFlags::check_all_ranges_and_constraints() is called.

Ok. Thanks for clarifying.

David

>
> cheers
>
>
> cheers