JavaDoc "pre" tags are not formatting correctly

[rob-stoecklein]

We are using Roaster to read source files, make a few changes, then save the results to new source files. Most of this is working quite well. One issue, however, is how "pre" tags are handled: all of the text inside of a "pre" tag ends up in a single line.

For example, if the input file is:

/**
 * <pre>
 * All    | of   | this | should | be   | aligned
 * but    | it   | is   | merged | into | a
 * single | line |
 * </pre>
 */
public interface TestInterface {
}

Processing it gives us:

/**
 * <pre>
 *  All    | of   | this | should | be   | aligned but    | it   | is   | merged | into | a single | line |
 * </pre>
 */
public interface TestInterface {
}

This is the source code that reads the TestInterface class to generate the modified one:

public final class Main2 {

    //@formatter:off
    private static final String FORMATTER_COMMENT_ALIGN_TAGS_DESCREIPTIONS_GROUPED = "org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.comment.align_tags_descriptions_grouped";
    private static final String FORMATTER_COMMENT_INSERT_NEW_LINE_FOR_PARAMETER    = "org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.comment.insert_new_line_for_parameter";
    //@formatter:on

    public static void main(final String[] args) throws IOException {

        final File inputFile = new File("TestInterface.java");
        final JavaInterfaceSource input = Roaster.parse(JavaInterfaceSource.class, inputFile);
        final JavaInterfaceSource output = Roaster.create(JavaInterfaceSource.class);
        output.setName(input.getName());

        output.getJavaDoc().setFullText(input.getJavaDoc().getFullText());

        final Properties properties = initProperties();
        final String outputStr = Roaster.format(properties, output.toString());
        log.info("\n\n" + outputStr + "\n");
    }

    private static Properties initProperties() {
        final Properties properties = new Properties();
        properties.setProperty(FORMATTER_COMMENT_ALIGN_TAGS_DESCREIPTIONS_GROUPED, "true");
        properties.setProperty(FORMATTER_COMMENT_INSERT_NEW_LINE_FOR_PARAMETER, "do_not_insert");
        return properties;
    }

Is there something we're doing wrong here?

If not, is there a work-around or fix for this?

Thanks.

[gastaldi]

Seems to be an Eclipse JDT parsing issue. It can be easily reproducible by doing this:

      String data = """
               /**
                * <pre>
                * All    | of   | this | should | be   | aligned
                * but    | it   | is   | merged | into | a
                * single | line |
                * </pre>
                */
               public interface TestInterface {
               }
               """;
      ASTParser parser = ASTParser.newParser(AST.getJLSLatest());
      parser.setKind(ASTParser.K_COMPILATION_UNIT);
      parser.setSource(data.toCharArray());
      ASTNode ast = parser.createAST(null);
      System.out.println(ast);

It outputs:

/** 
 * <pre> All    | of   | this | should | be   | aligned but    | it   | is   | merged | into | a single | line | </pre>
 */
public interface TestInterface {
}

[rob-stoecklein]

I was afraid that would be the answer.
Thanks for you help again!