Code Review 6706251: api/java_net/NetworkInterface/index.html#misc: getDisplayName() returned non null but empty String

[Michael McMahon]

Christopher Hegarty - Sun Microsystems Ireland wrote:
> On 19/03/2010 14:42, Alan Bateman wrote:
>> Christopher Hegarty - Sun Microsystems Ireland wrote:
>>> Hi Michael,
>>>
>>> This is a forward port of a fix that you did in JDK6u11 to JDK7. The
>>> source changes are trivial and the very same as what went in 6.
>>>
>>> The change is for strict conformance of getDisplayName, should return
>>> null instead of an empty string.
>>>
>>> Webrev:
>>> http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~chegar/6706251/webrev.00/webrev/
>>>
>>> -Chris.
>> Is this really a bug? The spec doesn't prohibit the display name from
>> being the empty string. If the empty string is not allowed then the
>> javadoc should probably be clarified.
>
> I vaguely remember the history of this issue (Michael will know 
> better),  but the expectation from the API is that while empty string 
> is not disallowed if the display name cannot be retrieved then null 
> should be returned.
>
> I think such a clarification is unnecessary in the API, it is such a 
> corner case, and may be confusing.
>
The javadoc specifies it should be null. So, I don't think we've much choice

- Michael

> -Chris.
>
>>
>> -Alan.