[Pidgin] #12339: "msn/*@hotmail.fr" contacts folded into non-existant "msn" email address

[Pidgin]

#12339: "msn/*@hotmail.fr" contacts folded into non-existant "msn" email address
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 Reporter:  andr909  |        Owner:  QuLogic
     Type:  defect   |       Status:  new    
Milestone:           |    Component:  MSN    
  Version:  2.7.1    |   Resolution:         
 Keywords:           |  
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Changes (by andr909):

  * owner:  rekkanoryo => QuLogic
  * component:  unclassified => MSN


Comment:

 The change of component is speculative.  It may affect any prefix.

 This debug trace is from when pidgin is loaded.
 (I discovered that if it is open when I quit Pidgin, it is automatically
 reloaded when Pidgin is started.)

 Note that the log shows that the correct msn/... contacts are re-added
 from the registered Yahoo contacts when Pidgin is started.
 The corrupted "msn" only contacts remain.
 When communication starts with one of the msn contacts, the correct entry
 is quickly changed to "msn" only.
 (On the contact list, in the menu window, and in the blist.xml file.)

 A particularly frustrating aspect of this bug, in addition to creating
 another dummy contact each session, is that it is impossible to initiate
 communication with a contact, as the contact's email address has been
 corrupted.

 As mentioned before, this may be related to Linux/Unix using "/" as a
 directory separator instead of the "\" of Microsoft.
 In any case, the log should help find where the address after "msn" is
 being dropped.

 A possible solution is maybe to change the separator used, to something
 not used in any other context -- as well as being invalid in an email
 address.

 From what I understand reading the specs on email addesses, in a non-
 quoted string, only ".." is invalid in the normal ascii range.
 So "msn.." could be used without ambiguity.
 In fact, msn/somethingelse at somewhere.com could in fact be a valid email
 address.

 Another approach could be for Pidgin to automatically recognize the msn
 network from the address given, or alternately to let the Yahoo network
 manage access to the MSN network, if in fact it is the Yahoo network which
 accesses MSN and not only the Yahoo instant messenger program.

 If anyone has an idea how I might help locate the problem, with my minimal
 knowledge of programming in C and gtk+, please leave a comment.
 Thanks

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/12339#comment:1>
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