PM49316: WEB.XML TEXT VALUES WITH EMBEDDED COMMENTS ARE CORRUPTED

7.0.0.23: WebSphere Application Server V7.0 Fix Pack 23
8.0.0.4: WebSphere Application Server V8.0 Fix Pack 4
7.0.0.25: WebSphere Application Server V7.0 Fix Pack 25
8.5.0.1: WebSphere Application Server V8.5 Fix Pack 1
8.0.0.5: WebSphere Application Server V8.0 Fix Pack 5
7.0.0.27: WebSphere Application Server V7.0 Fix Pack 27
8.5.0.2: WebSphere Application Server V8.5 Fix Pack 2
8.0.0.6: WebSphere Application Server V8.0 Fix Pack 6

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• If users use web.xml which includes comments in
  <param-value> tag, application startup failed after update
  application.
  The WebSphere Application Server could not handle comments in
  web.xml correctly. This causes web.xml messed up during update
  application.
  

Local fix

• N/A
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  All users of IBM WebSphere Application      *
  *                  Server                                      *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: The contents of a text element in an    *
  *                      XML document are corrupted during an    *
  *                      update if XML comments are mingled      *
  *                      in the text.                            *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  Eclipse Modelling Framework (EMF) does not handle comments
  embedded within a text element correctly.
  For example: an xml document contains the following element:
  <param-value>
  <!-- foo1  -->
  1
  <!-- foo  -->
  ,2
  <!-- bar -->
  ,3
  </param-value>
  The DOM parser will break this content into multiple child text
  and comment nodes as it processes the element. In the example
  above, the parser will create 7 child nodes, 4 text and 3
  comment. However, the function to get the child text node will
  only return the value in the first child text node and ignore
  the remaining text.
  If the content up to the first comment is all whitespace (as
  in the example above), then a call to get the text will return
  null because the first text node is empty (all whitespace).
  This causes the calling function to append new text to the XML
  element instead of replacing the existing text with the new
  text.
  

Problem conclusion

• The DOM XML parsing function has been updated to handle
  multiple child text nodes.
  
  The fix for this APAR is currently targeted for inclusion in
  fix pack 7.0.0.23 and 8.0.0.4.  Please refer to the Recommended
  Updates
  page for delivery information:
  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=180&uid=swg27004980
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  WEBS APP SERV N

• Fixed component ID

  5724H8800

Applicable component levels

• R700 PSY

     UP

• R800 PSY

     UP