Inconsistent behaviour with asterisk-wildcard in array path

[TobiasNx]

Since we do not have a ticket for that here. The asterisk wildcard in array paths seems to work sometimes, sometimes not and sometimes it breaks. I have set up a test with multiple usages of the *-wildcard and separated between working, breaking and no-doers. I am not sure if this is due to inconsistent array handling or due to the function. But I think it is good to collect them here:

https://github.com/TobiasNx/fix-FunctionalReview-Testing/blob/a8f314ce0c416073873553166eb9116e41a95cb7/data/testing/asteriskArray

Following functions work, also with arrays in arrays:
prepend
append
replace_all

copy_field works with single asterisk but not with arrays in arrays.

Following do nothing:
split_field
sort_field
add_field

Following break with asterisk:
reverse
sum
rename

[blackwinter]

There's a pattern w.r.t. how they're implemented internally:

• append, prepend, replace_all: Record.transformFields()
• rename, reverse, sort_field, split_field, sum: Record.transformField() [no s]
• add_field: Record.append()
• copy_field: Record.copy()

[blackwinter]

copy_field works with single asterisk but not with arrays in arrays.

You mean it should work without set_array(...)? Otherwise, I don't see a difference between

set_array("TEST_TWO[]")
copy_field("test[].*", "TEST_TWO[].$append")

and

set_array("TEST_3[]") # sic!
copy_field("test[].*", "TEST_THREE[].$append")

[blackwinter]

Oh, I guess you meant

set_array("TEST_4[]")
copy_field("nestedTest[].*.test[].*", "TEST_4[].$append")

So this is the expected output for TEST_THREE then? (There is no TEST_THREE in expected.json.)

"TEST_THREE" : [ {
  "1" : "One",
  "2" : "Two",
  "3" : "Three"
} ]

[TobiasNx]

No actually this is an error in my fix. I corrected it TEST_3 is connected to the reverse handling that is commented out:

https://github.com/TobiasNx/fix-FunctionalReview-Testing/blob/764464e662ad0cae2b176e3b6087784709dde8b9/data/testing/asteriskArray/asteriskArray.fix#L27-L28

[TobiasNx]

It should be:

https://github.com/TobiasNx/fix-FunctionalReview-Testing/blob/67a97dce90a58890506ef25d86fa86ea9bba4501/data/testing/asteriskArray/expected.json#L48-L49

[blackwinter]

Okay. But Test_4 is a typo again, it should be TEST_4.

[TobiasNx]

fixed (why are my code snippets not working?)

[blackwinter]

why are my code snippets not working?

Which code snippets?

[blackwinter]

Turned all examples into unit tests.

[fsteeg]

Will revisit after metafacture/metafacture-fix#102.

[blackwinter]

Integration tests:

• reverseSubfieldInArrayOfObjects
• reverseValuesInArrayOfStrings
• sort_fieldInArrayOfObjectsWithAsterisk
• split_fieldSubfieldInArrayOfObjectsWithAsterisk
• sumSubfieldInArrayOfObjects

[TobiasNx]

@blackwinter should we split this issue in single tickets?

[blackwinter]

No. Only if/when it turns out that the root causes are actually different and not fixable in one go.