** Description changed: [Impact] When using tree with JSON (-J) or XML (-X) output on a nonexistent directory, the generated output is malformed - missing required opening tags/braces and fields. This makes the output invalid and unusable for tools or scripts that parse it. The fix ensures proper initialisation of markup output objects, restoring valid JSON and XML generation. [Test Plan] 1. Start a fresh container and install `tree` and `jq`. 2. Run the following command to check the JSON output: ```sh tree -J /nonexistentdir --noreport | jq ``` If the bug is present, the following error message will be printed: ``` jq: parse error: Expected value before ',' at line 2, column 1 ``` 3. Run this command to check the XML output: ```sh - tree -X /nonexistentdir --noreport + tree -X /nonexistentdir --noreport | xq ``` If the bug is present, the following error message will be printed: ``` Error: XML syntax error on line 4: unexpected end element </unknown> ``` 4. To verify that the command works when it's run against an existing - directory, run the following: + directory, run the following: ```sh mkdir -p /tmp/testdir/foo [ $(tree -J /tmp/testdir/ | jq '.[0].contents[0].name') == '"foo"' ] || echo "test failed" [ "$(tree -X /tmp/testdir/ | xq -q 'tree > directory > directory' -a name)" == 'foo' ] || echo "test failed" ``` 5. Run `tree` without any option: ```sh tree /tmp/testdir/ ``` The successful execution of the command should produce the following output: ``` /tmp/testdir/ └── foo 2 directories, 0 files ``` [Where problems could occur] The change affects how error cases are printed for invalid or inaccessible directories. Potential regressions could include incorrect JSON/XML or general command output format when running `tree` against existing directories, which is addressed in the testplan. [Original report] using tree, if the target folder does not exist then the JSON or XML output options are broken. XML output (using input flag -X) has no open tag for the name field and a random close tag for 'unknown'. JSON output (using input flag -J) creates an array, the JSON object in the array has no open bracket and the entire 'type' key/value pair is missing. This makes the JSON object in the array start with a comma. This issue was discovered on Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS using tree version v2.1.1 Functionality is correct and as expected on another machine running Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS using tree version v1.7.0 Unfortunately I do not have another machine with anything newer than 18.04.5 to test when the issue first appeared. --------------------------------------------------------- 1.) $ lsb_release -rd No LSB modules are available. Description: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS Release: 24.04 2.) $ lsb_release -rd No LSB modules are available. Description: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS Release: 24.04 showhq@showhq-2025:/usr/lib/cgi-bin/tech$ tree --version tree v2.1.1 © 1996 - 2023 by Steve Baker, Thomas Moore, Francesc Rocher, Florian Sesser, Kyosuke Tokoro showhq@showhq-2025:/usr/lib/cgi-bin/tech$ apt-cache policy tree tree: Installed: 2.1.1-2ubuntu3 Candidate: 2.1.1-2ubuntu3 Version table: *** 2.1.1-2ubuntu3 500 500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble/universe amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status 3.) Expected: same as v1.7.0 - valid JSON with the -J flag and valid XML with the -X flag. 4.) Reality: Invalid JSON and XML
-- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2113790 Title: JSON and XML output broken if path invalid To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tree/+bug/2113790/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
