DRAFT: flush output_channel if length over max length

[tcoopman]

The code is not ready yet, but I wanted to open the PR already because I have some questions. This PR fixes #1238

What should the actual logic be?

• The current implementation is a lot slower if you add small strings with line breaks vs small string without line breaks (4-5 times slower in some quick tests).
• What if we have a string that is n * max_length? Do we...
  • add the whole string and flush after that
  • flush n times, every time after max_length
• If we want to keep the current behavior and flush after line breaks, and we have a string that looks like: foo\n very long .... string after line break", what do we want to do?
  • only flush after \n and add the long string without flushing
  • flush both after \n and do the same as a string with n * max_length
  • ignore the \n and do the same as a string with n * max_length

My proposal would be to do the simplest thing:

  if total_length > max_length : add full string and flush (* even if there are linebreaks in the string *)
  else if we have a line break: flush after the line break
  else just add the string

What do you think?

Should I write a test for this? And how and where should I do it?

I could write some js unit tests, but I don't see any in the code so far, so I'm not sure what to do, just let me know

[tcoopman]

where should I place this? At the top of the file and rename it to MAX_BUFFER_LENGTH?

[hhugo]

It's only going to be used here. Just put it inside the funciton.

[hhugo]

The current implementation is a lot slower if you add small strings with line breaks vs small string without line breaks (4-5 times slower in some quick tests).

The current implementation is only beneficial for stdout and stderr when printing on the console. We could restrict that logic for theses cases only (#1241 allows to identify theses cases)

What if we have a string that is n * max_length? Do we...
add the whole string and flush after that
flush n times, every time after max_length

I'dont have any preference here

[hhugo]

Could you please rebase your work on top of #1241 ?

[hhugo]

Merged as part of #1270