Fix the contact merge form on Drupal 8

[dsnopek]

Overview

Attempting to merge contacts which are associated with Drupal users will result in a fatal error.

Before

The steps to reproduce are basically:

1. Create two new contacts with the same name
2. Go to Search -> Find contacts and search for that name
3. Select both and click "Merge contacts"
4. Get a recoverable fatal error!

Here's the stack trace we get:

Recoverable fatal error: Object of class Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemList could not be converted to string in include() (line 222 of /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/files/private/civicrm/templates_c/en_US/%%8B/8B3/8B3565BB%%Merge.tpl.php)
#0 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/includes/bootstrap.inc(566): _drupal_error_handler_real(4096, 'Object of class...', '/srv/bindings/4...', 222, Array)
#1 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/files/private/civicrm/templates_c/en_US/%%8B/8B3/8B3565BB%%Merge.tpl.php(222): _drupal_error_handler(4096, 'Object of class...', '/srv/bindings/4...', 222, Array)
#2 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/packages/Smarty/Smarty.class.php(1911): include('/srv/bindings/4...')
#3 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/files/private/civicrm/templates_c/en_US/%%0C/0CB/0CBEC124%%default.tpl.php(19): Smarty->_smarty_include(Array)
#4 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/packages/Smarty/Smarty.class.php(1911): include('/srv/bindings/4...')
#5 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/files/private/civicrm/templates_c/en_US/%%2B/2BD/2BD99720%%drupal8.tpl.php(56): Smarty->_smarty_include(Array)
#6 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/packages/Smarty/Smarty.class.php(1270): include('/srv/bindings/4...')
#7 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Core/Smarty.php(197): Smarty->fetch('CRM/common/drup...', NULL, NULL, false)
#8 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Core/QuickForm/Action/Display.php(133): CRM_Core_Smarty->fetch('CRM/common/drup...')
#9 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Core/QuickForm/Action/Display.php(99): CRM_Core_QuickForm_Action_Display->renderForm(Object(CRM_Contact_Form_Merge))
#10 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/packages/HTML/QuickForm/Controller.php(203): CRM_Core_QuickForm_Action_Display->perform(Object(CRM_Contact_Form_Merge), 'display')
#11 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/packages/HTML/QuickForm/Page.php(103): HTML_QuickForm_Controller->handle(Object(CRM_Contact_Form_Merge), 'display')
#12 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Core/Controller.php(351): HTML_QuickForm_Page->handle('display')
#13 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Utils/Wrapper.php(113): CRM_Core_Controller->run()
#14 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Core/Invoke.php(282): CRM_Utils_Wrapper->run('CRM_Contact_For...', 'Merge Contact', Array)
#15 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Core/Invoke.php(84): CRM_Core_Invoke::runItem(Array)
#16 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/civicrm/civicrm-core/CRM/Core/Invoke.php(52): CRM_Core_Invoke::_invoke(Array)
#17 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/modules/contrib/civicrm/src/Civicrm.php(68): CRM_Core_Invoke::invoke(Array)
#18 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/modules/contrib/civicrm/src/Controller/CivicrmController.php(47): Drupal\civicrm\Civicrm->invoke(Array)
#19 [internal function]: Drupal\civicrm\Controller\CivicrmController->main(Array, '')
#20 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber.php(123): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#21 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Render/Renderer.php(582): Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber->Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber{closure}()
#22 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber.php(124): Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext(Object(Drupal\Core\Render\RenderContext), Object(Closure))
#23 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/EventSubscriber/EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber.php(97): Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber->wrapControllerExecutionInRenderContext(Array, Array)
#24 [internal function]: Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\EarlyRenderingControllerWrapperSubscriber->Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber{closure}()
#25 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/symfony/http-kernel/HttpKernel.php(153): call_user_func_array(Object(Closure), Array)
#26 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/symfony/http-kernel/HttpKernel.php(68): Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1)
#27 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/StackMiddleware/Session.php(57): Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#28 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/StackMiddleware/KernelPreHandle.php(47): Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#29 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/modules/page_cache/src/StackMiddleware/PageCache.php(99): Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#30 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/modules/page_cache/src/StackMiddleware/PageCache.php(78): Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->pass(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#31 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/StackMiddleware/ReverseProxyMiddleware.php(47): Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#32 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/StackMiddleware/NegotiationMiddleware.php(50): Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#33 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/vendor/stack/builder/src/Stack/StackedHttpKernel.php(23): Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#34 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/DrupalKernel.php(664): Stack\StackedHttpKernel->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request), 1, true)
#35 /srv/bindings/4e16373a1b93425ab737c843ea127734/code/web/index.php(19): Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle(Object(Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request))
#36 {main}.

After

The form works as expected!

Technical Details

The problematic code is basically two instances of this:

       if ($config->userSystem->is_drupal == '1') {
         $mainUser = user_load($mainUfId);
       }
       elseif ($config->userFramework == 'Joomla') {
         $mainUser = JFactory::getUser($mainUfId);
       }
       $this->assign('mainUfName', $mainUser ? $mainUser->name : NULL);

While user_load() will actually work in Drupal 8, the name field is accessed like $mainUser->name->value (because in Drupal 8 all entity properties are fields).

Instead of directly using Drupal-specific code, this PR changes to using a pre-existing method: $config->userSystem->getUser()

However, it updates the Drupal 8 implementation to actually work, and also adds a Joomla one to make sure the name is set the same way as the original code. I don't know anything about Joomla and didn't test that, so I'll need some advice on if that was the right thing to do!

But the Drupal 8 is good, and tested :-)

[eileenmcnaughton]

This fix is poetry - totally agree it's a code improvement - wonder if someone has a joomla instance to test it on - will ping in chat channel

[colemanw]

Perhaps @lcdservices could verify it from a Joomla perspective?

[monishdeb]

I tested the patch in my local on Joomla and it works fine.

[monishdeb]

(CiviCRM Review Template WORD-1.1)

• (r-explain) Pass
• (r-test) Pass : there can't be UT to test these changes against all 4 CMSs.
• (r-code) Pass
• (r-doc) Pass
• (r-maint) Pass
• (r-run)Pass Tested the patch on all 4 CMSs and works fine.
• (r-user) Pass
• (r-tech) Pass

[monishdeb]

Test failure unrelated.

[dsnopek]

Woohoo, thanks, Everyone! :-)

[eileenmcnaughton]

thanks @dsnopek @monishdeb