[HOLD for upstream] [$2000] Android - Chat - back-to-back bold words don't always render as bold

[kbecciv]

If you haven’t already, check out our contributing guidelines for onboarding and email contributors@expensify.com to request to join our Slack channel!

---

Issue found when executing PR #15501

Action Performed:

Precondition:
Use the following sequence of b characters for completing each test:

*b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b**b*

1. Paste the b characters into the composer and remove any surrounding backticks and spaces.
2. Confirm that the comment counter displays as 15012, and that the length is exceeded.
3. Remove one b sequence from the comment. The comment should now be sendable.
4. Send the comment and confirm that the delivered message consists only of b characters formatted in bold.

Expected Result:

All 100% of b characters formatted in bold

Actual Result:

50% of b characters formatted in bold

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

Which of our officially supported platforms is this issue occurring on?

• Android / native
• Android / Chrome
• iOS / native
• iOS / Safari
• MacOS / Chrome / Safari
• MacOS / Desktop

Version Number: 1.2.78.0

Reproducible in staging?: Yes

Reproducible in production?: Yes

If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from TestRail:

Email or phone of affected tester (no customers):

Logs: https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4856

Notes/Photos/Videos: Any additional supporting documentation

Screen_Recording_20230303_125606_New.Expensify.1.mp4

Expensify/Expensify Issue URL:

Issue reported by: Applause - Internal Team

Slack conversation:

View all open jobs on GitHub

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~0199575fa523903823
• Upwork Job ID: 1635048377825824768
• Last Price Increase: 2023-03-19

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @sonialiap (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details.

[MelvinBot]

Bug0 Triage Checklist (Main S/O)

• This "bug" occurs on a supported platform (ensure Platforms in OP are ✅)
• This bug is not a duplicate report (check E/App issues and #expensify-bugs)
  • If it is, comment with a link to the original report, close the issue and add any novel details to the original issue instead
• This bug is reproducible using the reproduction steps in the OP. S/O
  • If the reproduction steps are clear and you're unable to reproduce the bug, check with the reporter and QA first, then close the issue.
  • If the reproduction steps aren't clear and you determine the correct steps, please update the OP.
• This issue is filled out as thoroughly and clearly as possible
  • Pay special attention to the title, results, platforms where the bug occurs, and if the bug happens on staging/production.
• I have reviewed and subscribed to the linked Slack conversation to ensure Slack/Github stay in sync

[MelvinBot]

@sonialiap Whoops! This issue is 2 days overdue. Let's get this updated quick!

[MelvinBot]

@sonialiap Whoops! This issue is 2 days overdue. Let's get this updated quick!

[sonialiap]

Will test tomorrow

[sonialiap]

I can reproduce the behavior.

On web the text appears 100% bolded, on android it's about 50% bolded

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @puneetlath (Engineering), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4319 for more details.

[puneetlath]

Is this specific to "b" characters only? Or does it apply for any character?

And does it only happen if you are at the limit. Or does it happen with any number of back-to-back bolded characters?

[puneetlath]

Also, is this an android-only issue?

[kbecciv]

Yes, this is Andriod app issue Only

[sonialiap]

I tested it with *h**h**h*, *a**b**c**d**e**f**g**h**i**j**k**l**m**n**o**p**q**r**s**t**u**v**w**x**y**z*, *Sonia* *Sonia* *Sonia* and all produced the same behavior.

I cannot track down how many iterations of the bolded letter/string cause the bolding to fluctuate. In the screenshot bellow you can see that in the first message (54 words) the bolding falls off after 11 words. But testing with 12 words doesn't affect the bolding, nor does 18 or 24. In a message of 78 words the bolding falls off after 35 words. Sending a message of 54 words again results in the same bolding. So the bolding failure isn't totally random, there is some logic to it.

I also tested with a paragraph of lorem ipsum. When I bold the entire paragraph as one (not each individual character/word) then the entire paragraph is correctly bolded.

[puneetlath]

Very strange. Ok let's mark it external and see what contributors are able to dig up!

[MelvinBot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~0199575fa523903823

[MelvinBot]

Current assignees @puneetlath and @sonialiap are eligible for the External assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @thesahindia (External)

[MelvinBot]

Current assignee @puneetlath is eligible for the External assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[puneetlath]

@cubuspl42 any luck with the review?

[cubuspl42]

@puneetlath The review is taking longer than I hoped. No word from Facebook's side since my last bump. I bumped the thread again, but I suggest switching to plan B.

• Let's give the reviewer time to reply until the end of the week
• If he doesn't reply, I'll implement the idea I mentioned here anyway. It should minimize the chance of any undesired observable behavior changes to close to zero, while still fixing the discussed bug
• Then...
  • ...I submit that to the upstream PR
  • ...but at the same time we can start an internal PR on our fork

What do you think? This way we could unblock our issue, leaving the long-term upstream review asynchronous.

[puneetlath]

Looks like he's engaging again, so let's wait a bit more before opening the PR on our fork.

[cubuspl42]

@puneetlath
I decided to provide an alternative approach, which is much simpler (while less general), more backward-compatible in corner cases, but most importantly still fixes the Expensify issue we're discussing.

A more general solution could be a potential next step that the React Native team can consider.

I hope that this will speed up the process.

[puneetlath]

Ok cool, sounds good!

[cubuspl42]

@puneetlath

1. [ANDROID] [FIXED] Fixed random styling for text nodes with many children facebook/react-native#36656 is merged
2. For the purpose of a final test, I applied the commit in its final merged form (dcb4eb0) on top of v0.71.2-alpha.3:

android-fix-bold-1.mp4

What should be the next step? Should we wait for this change to be eventually picked up organically, or should I create a PR to our fork with a cherry-pick?

[melvin-bot]

@puneetlath, @cubuspl42, @sonialiap, @thesahindia Uh oh! This issue is overdue by 2 days. Don't forget to update your issues!

[puneetlath]

Nice!! Great job getting that merged upstream!

Do you know how RN releases work? When could we expect it in a release?

[cubuspl42]

@puneetlath The React Native team is focused on releasing 0.72 now, and I don't think this change has any chance of being included, as it reached a Golden Release Candidate stage.

I'm trying to figure out whether we can expect this in 0.72.1, or if we need to wait for 0.73. I asked a question on the merged PR.

[cubuspl42]

I filed a "pick request".

According to this response, a realistic timeline is 0.72.rc6 if rc6 will be needed, or 0.72.1 otherwise.

[puneetlath]

Nice! Let's go ahead and get you paid out @cubuspl42

[puneetlath]

@cubuspl42 I've sent you a contract. @sonialiap can you please pay it out once @cubuspl42 accepts?

@thesahindia I didn't send you one since I don't think you were involved. Please let us know if I'm mistaken in that.

Really great job with this one!

[puneetlath]

Also @sonialiap let's keep this open until we've confirmed that it has been incorporated in RN upstream.

[thesahindia]

Correct! No compensation for me.

[puneetlath]

@sonialiap I've gone ahead and paid this. So we just need to keep it open to track that the upstream PR gets incorporated. I'll just leave it assigned to me for that.

[melvin-bot]

@puneetlath, @cubuspl42, @thesahindia, this Monthly task hasn't been acted upon in 6 weeks; closing.

If you disagree, feel encouraged to reopen it -- but pick your least important issue to close instead.

[melvin-bot]

@puneetlath, @cubuspl42, @thesahindia, this Monthly task hasn't been acted upon in 6 weeks; closing.

If you disagree, feel encouraged to reopen it -- but pick your least important issue to close instead.

[puneetlath]

We're still waiting for the upstream fix to be incorporated.

[melvin-bot]

@puneetlath, @cubuspl42, @thesahindia, this Monthly task hasn't been acted upon in 6 weeks; closing.

If you disagree, feel encouraged to reopen it -- but pick your least important issue to close instead.

[cubuspl42]

The fix should land in React Native 0.73