Externalize Strings Wizard fails with "Entry is missing in property file"

[Phillipus]

1. Import the attached project into your workspace - testproject.zip
2. Open the Foo.java file
3. Select from menu "Source -> Externalize Strings..."

The wizard cannot find the existing property strings with the error "Entry is missing in property file":

Pressing "Next" on the wizard results in duplicate message declarations, so not possible to add new strings.

Eclipse 4.29
Java 17
All platforms

[Phillipus]

This error occurs when the Messages.java file contains the BUNDLE_NAME declaration in this format:

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = Messages.class.getPackageName() + ".messages";

If the BUNDLE_NAME is declared as a full string it is OK:

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = "com.foo.bar.messages";

It means that adding new externalised strings to an already existing messages file is not possible.

[Phillipus]

Seems that something strange is happening when initializing BUNDLE_NAME with String concatenation.

If we do the following, the wizard finds the messages correctly:

1. Rename the messages.properties file to Messages.properties
2. Change the initialization of BUNDLE_NAME in the Messages.java file to:
   private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = Messages.class.getName();

Now, if we edit that line to the following (concatenating an empty String), the wizard fails to find the messages:

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = Messages.class.getName() + "";

In fact, the following doesn't work, either:

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = "com.foo.bar.messages" + "";

or

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = "com.foo.bar" + ".messages";

[Phillipus]

I'm by no means familiar with this code, but I've been tracing and debugging this issue and I think I've narrowed it down to NLSHintHelper method getResourceBundleName(CompilationUnit astRoot) and these lines in the anonymous ASTVIsitor:

eclipse.jdt.ui/org.eclipse.jdt.core.manipulation/refactoring/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/corext/refactoring/nls/NLSHintHelper.java

Lines 282 to 299 in 4b92b57

	private String getBundleName(Expression initializer) {
	if (initializer instanceof StringLiteral)
	return ((StringLiteral)initializer).getLiteralValue();
	if (initializer instanceof MethodInvocation) {
	MethodInvocation methInvocation= (MethodInvocation)initializer;
	Expression exp= methInvocation.getExpression();
	if ((exp != null) && (exp instanceof TypeLiteral)) {
	SimpleType simple= (SimpleType)((TypeLiteral) exp).getType();
	ITypeBinding typeBinding= simple.resolveBinding();
	if (typeBinding != null)
	return typeBinding.getQualifiedName();
	}
	}
	return null;
	}
	});

When the messages bundle is declared using String concatenation the method parameter initializer can be of type InfixExpression and this is not handled.

[Phillipus]

One more finding. The getResourceBundleName method seems to return the Messages class name regardless of the actual method declaration.

So all of the following declarations result in the same bundle name:

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = Messages.class.getName();

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = Messages.class.getPackageName();

private static final String BUNDLE_NAME = Messages.class.getTypeName();

[Phillipus]

The following is a POC "fix" in NLSHintHelper line 282:

private String getBundleName(Expression initializer) {
	if (initializer instanceof StringLiteral)
		return ((StringLiteral)initializer).getLiteralValue();

	if (initializer instanceof MethodInvocation) {
		MethodInvocation methInvocation= (MethodInvocation)initializer;
		Expression exp= methInvocation.getExpression();
		if ((exp != null) && (exp instanceof TypeLiteral)) {
			SimpleType simple= (SimpleType)((TypeLiteral) exp).getType();
			ITypeBinding typeBinding= simple.resolveBinding();
			if (typeBinding != null) {
				if("getPackageName".equals(methInvocation.getName().getIdentifier()))
					return typeBinding.getPackage().getName(); 
				return typeBinding.getQualifiedName();
			}
		}
	}
	
	if (initializer instanceof InfixExpression ex)
		return getBundleName(ex.getLeftOperand()) + getBundleName(ex.getRightOperand());
	
	return null;
}

Original lines:

eclipse.jdt.ui/org.eclipse.jdt.core.manipulation/refactoring/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/corext/refactoring/nls/NLSHintHelper.java

Lines 282 to 300 in 4b92b57

	private String getBundleName(Expression initializer) {
	if (initializer instanceof StringLiteral)
	return ((StringLiteral)initializer).getLiteralValue();
	if (initializer instanceof MethodInvocation) {
	MethodInvocation methInvocation= (MethodInvocation)initializer;
	Expression exp= methInvocation.getExpression();
	if ((exp != null) && (exp instanceof TypeLiteral)) {
	SimpleType simple= (SimpleType)((TypeLiteral) exp).getType();
	ITypeBinding typeBinding= simple.resolveBinding();
	if (typeBinding != null)
	return typeBinding.getQualifiedName();
	}
	}
	return null;
	}
	});

[kysmith-csg]

Maybe similar bug to #553? Sometimes when I get this bug, I guess maybe if the names don't conflict, it will actually blank out the warning ones so the wizard isn't really usable in that case.

[Phillipus]

Maybe similar bug to #553?

That would be a side-effect of this one.

Effectively the use of class.getPackageName() makes the wizard unusable when you need to edit/add more strings. I've had to go back and change all instances to the fully qualified class string.