[CONFIGURATION-252] Detection of absolute fileNames when configuration sources are defined in a JAR file

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 1.3
• Fix Version/s: 1.4

Environment

Linux

• Assignee: Oliver Heger
• Reporter: Heiko Seebach
• Created: 01/Feb/07 15:19
• Updated: 22/Aug/09 19:36
• Resolved: 03/Feb/07 16:20

Description

When using several configuration sources, the sources are defined in a an xml attribute like
fileName="usergui.properties"
The method org.apache.commons.configuration.ConfigurationUtils.getFile(String basePath, String fileName) converts the basePath and fileName into a File.
The JavaDoc says: "The parameter strings can be relative files, absolute files and URLs as well."

The file containing the definition of the configuration sources will become the basePath of this method.
After a log of debugging I found, that if the basePath start with "jar:" the method assumes that the fileName is relative, evene if it's absolute. This happens, because there's a ProtocolHandler for Jar files and "jar:" is a valid protocol. So the statement "new URL(new URL(basePath), fileName)" doesn't throw a MalformedUrlException.
Since the URL is valid, it's never checked, if the fileName may be absolute.

Attention: this is only the case on Unix/Linux, since this is a valid URL
jar:file:/C:/myjar.jar!/my-config.xml/someprops.properties
while under Windows, a MalformedUrlException will be thrown, when the fileName is absolute:
jar:file:/C:/myjar.jar!/my-config.xml/c:/someprops.properties

I attached a patch that checks, whether the URL protocol is "jar" and the fileName is absolute. If so, the absolute file will be used.