Consistency check for text fields

[koppor]

Follow-up to https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/pull/11886.

There should be an automatic checker (JUnit) test case. JabRef has org.jabref.model.entry.field.FieldProperty#MULTILINE_TEXT. All of these fields should be offered as TextArea, all others (!) as TextField

I think, this is a hard one, but much to learn.

The "only" way is maybe to use Refaster template recipes and check if OpenRewrite would change anything.

Maybe, this also does not work and one would need to use JavaParser to check the constructor at org.jabref.gui.fieldeditors.FieldEditorFX, whether all new X get a field passed matching the X (X instanceof TextArea <=> fieldProperties.contains(MULTILINE_TEXT))

[ShunL12324]

Hi, I’d like to try working on this issue—could you please assign it to me?

[koppor]

@ShunL12324 was first - sorry @lllllllittlesun

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[koppor]

Remember this is a rather hard one isse!

[ShunL12324]

The current implementation makes this JUnit test difficult. The check for "whether all instances of X receive a field with matching properties (X instanceof TextArea <=> fieldProperties.contains(MULTILINE_TEXT))" cannot be fully ensured. This is because fieldProperties.contains(MULTILINE_TEXT) can only be determined at runtime, unless we analyze each class creation to confirm if the field parameter includes the MULTILINE_TEXT property. Furthermore, in many FieldEditor implementations, multiline checks are primarily handled using the final boolean isMultiLine rather than relying on field properties.

A potentially better approach might be to first check if the class includes the field private final TextInputControl textInput. Then, using a tool like JavaParser, analyze whether the class performs a MULTILINE_TEXT property check, and finally, confirm if EditorTextArea instances are being created.

Does this sound like the right direction?

[koppor]

I quickly checked. The names are different - maybe check for class only

TBH, I do not know how to check.

The class to check is org.jabref.gui.fieldeditors.FieldEditors. Maybe, only the if block at org.jabref.gui.fieldeditors.FieldEditors#getForField needs to be analyzhed with JavaParser.

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Maybe, it is enough to add some JavaDoc to org.jabref.model.entry.field.FieldProperty#MULTILINE_TEXT and org.jabref.gui.fieldeditors.FieldEditors#getForField - and add entry-editor.md to docs/code-howtos and sketch how it works with field creation.

[ShunL12324]

I also tried to analyze every class that implements FieldEditorFX, but the difficulties remain the same. We can neither determine if the class will or should have FieldProperty.MULTILINE_TEXT nor if the class actually checks this property to decide whether to use TextArea or TextField. In fact, FieldProperty.MULTILINE_TEXT is not being used. Maybe we should just add some comments and documentation at this moment.