RFR: 8373452: DataFormat threading and API issues
Andy Goryachev
angorya at openjdk.org
Tue Jan 20 20:13:54 UTC 2026
### Summary
This PR makes the `DataFormat` constructor private:
private DataFormat(@NamedArg("ids") String... ids)
and replaces it with
public static DataFormat of(String ... ids)
### Problem
There seems to be several issues with DataFormat API and implementation discovered during a Clipboard-related code review:
1. `static DataFormat::lookupMimeType(String)` is not thread safe: while iterating over previously registered entries in the `DATA_FORMAT_LIST` another thread might create a new instance (DataFormat L227)
2. `public DataFormat(String...)` constructor might throw an `IllegalArgumentException` if one of the given mime types is already assigned to another `DataFormat`. The origin of this requirement is unclear, but one possible issue I can see is if the application has two libraries that both attempt to create a `DataFormat` for let's say `"text/css"`. Then, depending on the timing or the exact code path, an exception will be thrown for which the library(-ies) might not be prepared. The constructor is also not thread safe.
3. To avoid a situation mentioned in bullet 2, a developer would is typically call `lookupMimeType()` to obtain an already registered instance, followed by a constructor call if such an instance has not been found. An example of such code can be seen in webkit/UIClientImpl:299 - but even then, despite that two-step process being synchronized, the code might still fail if *some other* library or the application attempts to create a new instance of DataFormat, since the constructor itself is not synchronized.
4. `DataFormat(new String[] { null })` is allowed but makes no sense!
Why do we need to have the registry of previously created instances? Unclear. My theory is that the DataFormat allows to have multiple mime-types (ids) - example being `DataFormat.FILES = new DataFormat("application/x-java-file-list", "java.file-list");` - and the registry was added to prevent creation of a `DataFormat` with just one id for some reason.
What should be done?
- find out why we need this registry in the first place i.e. what could happen if we have multiple DataFormat instances with overlapping ids.
- if the registry is needed add a new factory method, something like `DataFormat::of(String ...)` which is properly synchronized. This method will be called by the constructor to retain the backward compatibility.
- deprecate (possibly for removal) `DataFormat::lookupMimeType(String)`, or keep it but have it properly synchronized
### Dangers
1. adding synchronization might lead to deadlocks if the application or library has existing code synchronized around some other object and not `DataFormat.class`.
2. removing the public constructor is a very visible, breaking change
### Alternatives
We could possibly prevent the application code creating `DataFormat`s with multiple ids by
- creating a `public DataFormat(String)` constructor
- allowing multiple instances with the same id by removing the registry or using the registry only for `DataFormat`s with multiple ids
Or, deprecate (not for removal) the `public DataFormat(@NamedArg("ids") String... ids)` constructor for backward compatibility (also allowing the issues listed above), while adding `DataHandler.of(String)` factory for those applications that want to guarantee the absence of these issues.
-------------
Commit messages:
- Merge branch 'master' into 8373452.data.format
- junit
- whitespace
- javadoc
- data format
Changes: https://git.openjdk.org/jfx/pull/2006/files
Webrev: https://webrevs.openjdk.org/?repo=jfx&pr=2006&range=00
Issue: https://bugs.openjdk.org/browse/JDK-8373452
Stats: 158 lines in 10 files changed: 82 ins; 35 del; 41 mod
Patch: https://git.openjdk.org/jfx/pull/2006.diff
Fetch: git fetch https://git.openjdk.org/jfx.git pull/2006/head:pull/2006
PR: https://git.openjdk.org/jfx/pull/2006
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