fix(compiler): Provide empty string instead of null value

[Hipska]

To reproduce

Having :

• an iTop 3.1 clone
• PHP 8.1+
• php notices enabled

Deploy this XML, that is redefining a dict key to an empty value :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<itop_design version="1.7">
  <dictionaries>
    <dictionary id="EN US" _delta="must_exist">
      <entries>
        <entry id="Class:UserRequest/Attribute:urgency" _delta="force"></entry>
      </entries>
    </dictionary>
  </dictionaries>
</itop_design>

Upon compilation (either by the setup or the toolkit) you'll get the following notices :

Deprecated: strpos(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($haystack) of type string is deprecated in C:\Dev\wamp64\www\itop-31\setup\compiler.class.inc.php on line 3272

Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in C:\Dev\wamp64\www\itop-31\setup\compiler.class.inc.php on line 1170

They are blocking during setup.

Analysis

The methods FilterDictString and QuoteForPHP both use strpos or str_replace who give a deprecation notice when the argument is null:

Deprecated: strpos(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($haystack) of type string is deprecated in /var/www/html/setup/compiler.class.inc.php on line 3231
Deprecated: str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /var/www/html/setup/compiler.class.inc.php on line 1146

This message is repeated for each empty dictionary item, which seems to happen on a Professional instance connected to the Designer.

Logs taken from a iTop Professional 3.1.0-3. The null argument gives a deprecation notice since PHP 8.1, which is supported for this iTop version.

[piRGoif]

Hello Thomas,
Can you provide some sample dict keys to reproduce the issue ?

[Hipska]

I guess it is just <entry id="dict:code"/>.

[Hipska]

Other PHP 8.1 findings:

Deprecated: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /var/www/html/core/ormcaselog.class.inc.php on line 172
Deprecated: md5(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /var/www/html/core/ormdocument.class.inc.php on line 346

[piRGoif]

Hello,
Thanks for the 2 other deprecated notices on PHP 8.1, I've created N°7212
Can you detail how to reproduce them, especially the one on ormDocument ?

[Hipska]

Already discussed with @Molkobain on Slack.

Displaying a Person on the portal (e.g. click on manager on profile page) causes the ormDocument notice.

The other one was when going to a User's details page (might be related to having the activity panel open)

[piRGoif]

ormCaselog error is handled in #607

[Hipska]

Having this issue as well with 3.1.1:

Deprecated:  strpos(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($haystack) of type string is deprecated in /var/www/html/setup/compiler.class.inc.php on line 3264
Deprecated:  str_replace(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($subject) of type array|string is deprecated in /var/www/html/setup/compiler.class.inc.php on line 1170

This is becoming a major issue since it blocks the setup while upgrading to 3.1.1 when for example the sv-display-mgmt is installed.

[Hipska]

Even replacing this line with the following isn't a suitable workaround:

<entry id="Class:Display/Attribute:type_id+" _delta="define"></entry>

Looks like there is no way anymore to define an empty dict in xml !!!

[piRGoif]

Woops absolutely sorry I forgot this PR :(
I've just tried to reproduce on a standard support/3.1 clone, and I got it !
I'll rewrite the description a little, and send the PR back for review.

[piRGoif]

@Molkobain will be the new assignee for the reviews next month.

[Molkobain]

Technical review: We would rather fix the root cause than the symptom:

• FilterDictString()
  • Method type hinting can be enforce as it is only used within the compiler: FilterDictString(string $s): string
  • Fix te one usage in the line below your proposal: self::FilterDictString($sValue ?? '')
• QuoteForPHP()
  • As it is used in many places, fix its internal usages with $s = $s ?? ''; at the begining of the method.