GNU bug report logs - #18734
[PATCH] vala: Improper parsing of valac arguments leads to garbage in DIST_COMMON

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Colomban Wendling <lists.ban <at> herbesfolles.org>
To: bug-automake <at> gnu.org
Subject: [PATCH] vala: Improper parsing of valac arguments leads to garbage
 in DIST_COMMON
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 17:17:00 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Hi,

The parsing of valac flags is too permissive and incorrectly matches
some input, possibly leading to garbage in DIST_COMMON -- and then,
build failures.

The problem is that parsing of valac flags uses a non-anchored pattern
and so any argument happening to be a subset of a parsed argument will
match it, e.g. `vapi` will match against `--vapi` or `--internal-vapi`.

E.g. when using the following:

	something_VALAFLAGS = --vapidir vapi --pkg foo

`--pkg` is recognized as an interesting argument (and so, added to
`DIST_COMMON`) because `vapi` (the argument for `--vapidir`) matched
against `--vapi`.

Please find attached a patch fixing the issue.

Regards,
Colomban

[0001-vala-Fix-parsing-valac-flags.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 18734 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Karl Berry <karl <at> freefriends.org>
To: lists.ban <at> herbesfolles.org
Cc: 18734 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#18734: [PATCH] vala: Improper parsing of valac arguments
 leads to garbage in DIST_COMMON
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2020 19:13:04 -0600

Hi Colomban - back on your automake bug report from six years ago (sorry!):

    Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 17:17:00 +0200
    From: Colomban Wendling

    [...]
    The problem is that parsing of valac flags uses a non-anchored pattern
    and so any argument happening to be a subset of a parsed argument will
    match it, e.g. `vapi` will match against `--vapi` or `--internal-vapi`.

    [... patch ...]
    --- a/bin/automake.in
    +++ b/bin/automake.in
    @@ -5436,8 +5436,8 @@ sub lang_vala_finish_target
           foreach my $flag ($flags->value_as_list_recursive)
            {
    -	  if (grep (/$lastflag/, ('-H', '-h', '--header', '--internal-header',
    -	                          '--vapi', '--internal-vapi', '--gir')))
    +	  if (grep (/^$lastflag$/, ('-H', '-h', '--header', '--internal-header',
    +	                            '--vapi', '--internal-vapi', '--gir')))
                {

Indeed. I don't see a problem with applying your patch, but before I do,
I just wondered if anything else had come up with vala that needs to be
fixed? Please advise if you can. I've never used vala myself, so
wouldn't know. --thanks, karl.

Message #11 received at 18734 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Karl Berry <karl <at> freefriends.org>
To: lists.ban <at> herbesfolles.org
Cc: 18734 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#18734: [PATCH] vala: Improper parsing of valac arguments
 leads to garbage in DIST_COMMON
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2020 18:39:01 -0600

    -	  if (grep (/$lastflag/, ('-H', '-h', '--header', '--internal-header',
    -	                          '--vapi', '--internal-vapi', '--gir')))
    +	  if (grep (/^$lastflag$/, ('-H', '-h', '--header', '--internal-header',
    +	                            '--vapi', '--internal-vapi', '--gir')))
                {

I installed this change and am closing the bug. Thanks. --karl

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