LDClient::close() does not clean up the internal instances map.

[valeriyo]

This sequence:

• init(...)
• close()
• init(...)

does not work. The second init() call will succeed, but the LD library will be non-operational.

This is happening because, LDClient has a static instances map, which isn't cleared by close():

    private static Map<String, LDClient> instances = null;

    ...

    public void close() throws IOException {
        LDClient.closeInstances();
    }

    ...

    private static void closeInstances() {
        for (LDClient client : instances.values()) {
            client.closeInternal();
        }
    }

So, the second init() will find instances and will bail out early:

        if (instances != null) {
            Timber.w("LDClient.init() was called more than once! returning primary instance.");
            return new LDSuccessFuture<>(instances.get(LDConfig.primaryEnvironmentName));
        }

Please do instances = null at the end of closeInstances() so that library can be re-initialized. Thanks.

[valeriyo]

Currently, I have:

        ldClient.close()

        // the workaround to clear internal LDClient state:
        ldClient.javaClass
            .declaredFields
            .firstOrNull { it.name == "instances" }
            ?.apply {
              isAccessible = true
              set(null, null)
            }

it works, but I would rather not have this hack in my code. Thanks.

[gwhelanLD]

Hi @valeriyo,

Could you let us know your use case for re-initializing the client? In general this isn't a feature we consider supported on our mobile SDKs, as the SDK lifecycle is considered tied to the application's lifecycle.

Thanks,
@gwhelanLD

[valeriyo]

Our app has an "environment" switch for Production vs Staging (with our server), and those are mapped to two Launchdarkly environments - which map to two different keys. So, when the app switches to another environment, everything that is environment-specific needs to be cleaned up. What's unusual about that?

[gwhelanLD]

This specific case is actually addressed separately with the multi-environment feature. Take a look at the docs here. You can set either Production or Staging as the primary instance, and identify the other with LDConfig.setSecondaryMobileKeys(Map<String, String>). Then the secondary environment can be retrieved with LDClient.getForMobileKey(String).

Hope this helps!
@gwhelanLD

[valeriyo]

@gwhelanLD No, the multi-environment feature doesn't mitigate the fact that close() doesn't clean stuff up.

[Dill-Lan]

Having the same issue with the project I'm on. We need to be able to dynamically configure the LD config and reinitialise the client each time it updates so that the new configuration takes effect.

Is there any reason why instances can't be set to null @gwhelanLD? I'd prefer to not have to reflectively set it to null like @valeriyo has resorted to.

Thanks

[valeriyo]

Alright, this is brain-dead. Is it so hard to add a line to make this right?

    private static void closeInstances() {
        for (LDClient client : instances.values()) {
            client.closeInternal();
        }
        instances = null // THIS F**KING THING RIGHT HERE TO CLEAN SH*T UP
    }

I was considering LD for a new project, but I will look elsewhere because you suck. Bye.

[eli-darkly]

Fixed this in the 3.1.8 release.