Re: asn1.c/asn_parse_string() null-termination behaviour

Robert Story wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 12:41:36 +0200 Gustaf wrote:
> GG> The problem I am having is that the asn_parse_string() function
> GG> null-terminates the string it parses if the size of the recieving char*
> GG> is large enough to contain such terminator.
> GG>
> GG> I think this behaivour is wrong and that the returned string should
> GG> always be null-terminated (or never).
>
> The correct answer is never, since ASN strings are not null terminated.
> However, if the buffer is large enough, we do add a null because so many
> people think they are null terminated and pass them to printf and friends.
> It's just a little additional safety.

I really think this is wrong.

The reason why I think it is wrong is exactly what you mention, people
will pass this string to printf() since it works. I however think it
would be a lot better if people would learn the first time to do
something like:

asn1p = asn_parse_string(asn1p, &asn1p_len,
&asn1p_type, string, &string_len_MINUS_ONE);
*(string+&string_len_MINUS_ONE) = '\0';

Instead of having to figure out that this is what they need to do the
2784117371 time they run it and the program segfaults in their face
(without a clue why it happened).

Anyways, I am not going to argue about it (more than this :P).

Thanks for your answer.

//Gustaf



_______________________________________________
Net-snmp-coders mailing list
Net-snmp-coders@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/...et-snmp-coders