Re: Stored Properties file gets emptied
Sabine Dinis Blochberger wrote:
Noel wrote:
Sabine Dinis Blochberger wrote:
[...] My hunch is that it sometimes gets replaced with the
default properties, which according to the Javadocs does not get written
out (empty file, I assume rather then no file at all).
Calling Properties.store on a Properties object with only default
properties will produce (at least using Windows x64 Sun JRE 1.6 JVM) a
non-empty file consisting of at least a comment line with the
modification date-time. You would also see the comment "#---Auto
generated---" given your code.
Is the application occasionally producing files that are completely empty?
Unfortunately, the bug report is just verbal from the customer to my
boss then to me. The application also has no logging facility, only the
java console would show exceptions and most people have it turned off.
That and it's a bit much to ask customers to debug our stuff.
....
True, you cannot ask a customer to debug your stuff, and any approach to
one must be coordinated with whoever is primarily responsible for
relations with that customer. On the other hand, from a customer point
of view, the following can all be positive messages:
1. We are taking the problem seriously.
2. Here is the actual, living, breathing, thinking programmer who has
been assigned to fix the problem.
3. You may have the power to help expedite a fix by supplying additional
data.
Framed like that, you may be able to get to speak with someone who has
seen the problem happen, and can answer questions like "Is the file
totally empty, or does it contain comments?". You might be able to
communicate "We want to fix the problem before you see it again, but
just in case please enable your Java console and, if it happens, send a
copy with the bug report, along with a copy of the file."
Patricia