nodejs / nodejs/node

Contexts created with vm.createContext() do not define the URL() constructor

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feature request never-stale realm vm
Dominant language
JavaScript
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Description

  • Version: v12.6.0 (also seen in 10.13.0)
  • Platform: Darwin Davids-MacBook-Pro.local 18.5.0 Darwin Kernel Version 18.5.0: Mon Mar 11 20:40:32 PDT 2019; root:xnu-4903.251.3~3/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64
  • Subsystem:

I've created a simple testing framework that runs tests using vm.Script.runInContext(). Now I'm writing tests for code that uses the whatwg URL API. If I use vm.createContext(), the created context does not define the URL() constructor. But if I pass in the URL constructor with vm.createContext({URL}), then I have a situation where arrays returned by URLSearchParams methods are defined using the Array.prototype object from outside the context, and my tests are trying to compare those to arrays defined inside the context with a different Array.prototype object. So because I have two arrays with different prototypes, assert.deepStrictEqual() thinks they are not the same.

I'd argue that the underlying bug here is that URL should be automatically defined in newly created contexts without having to be passed in. Or maybe this is a bug in assert.deepStrictEqual() and it is stricter than it ought to be in this cross-context situation?

In any case, here is an example that reproduces the issue for me:

const vm = require('vm');

// URL is not defined inside the context, and I can't require it, so
// I need to pass it to the context from outside. But it returns arrays
// using the Array class from outside the context.
let context = vm.createContext({require, URL, externalArray:Array});

let script = new vm.Script(`
    const assert = require('assert');
    let url = new URL('http://example.com');
    url.searchParams.append('x', '1');
    url.searchParams.append('x', '2');
    let actual = url.searchParams.getAll('x'); // Uses array class from outside
    let expected = ['1', '2'];                 // Uses array class from inside
    assert(Array.isArray(actual));                                // passes
    assert.deepStrictEqual(Array.from(actual), expected);         // passes
    assert.deepStrictEqual(actual, externalArray.from(expected)); // passes
    assert.deepStrictEqual([...actual], expected);                // passes
    assert.deepStrictEqual(actual, expected);               // fails
    assert.equal(Object.getPrototypeOf(actual),             // also fails
                 Object.getPrototypeOf(expected)); 
`);

script.runInContext(context);

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the vm.createContext() and vm.Script.runInContext() reproduction in the issue. Read the context initialization behavior around URL availability and the cross-context array prototype result, then determine which behavior should be covered. Done means a regression test and an agreed fix for the selected URL or deepStrictEqual behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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