first element being a zero length string

[cfpp2p]

Referencing #896

The fix for closed #896 seems incomplete. static private function encode_string remains in need of patch (per closed #896). Please correct me if I'm in error.

I'm seeing below as not patched in Torrent.php

    static private function encode_string( $string ) 
    {
            return(strlen( $string ) . ':' . $string);
    }

re: #896

The problem above ends up creating a list with the first element being a zero length string. Since there should never be a valid reason to have a zero length string in the bencoded data, we can avoid it (and any other place where a zero length string might get created) by checking the length of the string at encoding time and return an empty string instead of a "0:" string.

Fix:

    static private function encode_string( $string )
    {
    if( strlen( $string ))
    return(strlen( $string ) . ':' . $string);
    else
    return "";
    }

I don't see where this particular issue was fixed in the code and newly created torrents can still be created with the first element being a zero length string.

[Novik]

Fragment from valid torrent:
comment45:Please seed this torrent as long as possible!13:comment.utf-80:10:created by
Fragment from invalid torrent (i.e. created with this patch):
comment45:Please seed this torrent as long as possible!13:comment.utf-810:created by

Do you see difference?

[cfpp2p]

I'm trying to resolve an issue with ruTorrent and transmission.
https://trac.transmissionbt.com/ticket/5517#comment:66

currently the transmission project receives somewhat frequent complaints that transmission rejects torrents created by ruTorrent if the "first element being a zero length string".

Where the actual problem resides? It's my personal opinion the the responsibility resides with transmission and not with ruTorrent .

I'm trying to become informed on the current state of ruTorrent concerning torrents with "first element being a zero length string" not suggesting a particular change but just the current status.

No matter what, transmission (I believe) should accept new and old torrents from ruTorrent whether or not the "first element being a zero length string".

[Novik]

This is, of course, a ruTorrent error (i.e. an error in the PHP class of Adrien), but it can't be fixed by such way, and yes, function encode_string still unchanged.
Function folder was corrected (5 month ago), and, IMHO, this should fix this error.