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

[Andrew John Hughes]

On 19 March 2010 15:12, Alan Bateman <Alan.Bateman at sun.com> wrote:
> Christopher Hegarty - Sun Microsystems Ireland wrote:
>>
>> :
>> 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.
>
> If the empty string is not allowed then changing the @return to make this
> clear would be good.
>
> -Alan.
>

The @return currently says 'the display name of this network
interface, or null if no display name is available.'

'null if the display name is either null or the empty string' may be
clearer.  It's these kind of corner cases that are a major pain for
users of the API.
-- 
Andrew :-)

Free Java Software Engineer
Red Hat, Inc. (http://www.redhat.com)

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