NotSerializableException when serializing PurchasesException

[MMP0]

• I have updated Purchases SDK to the latest version
• I have read the Contribution Guidelines
• I have searched the Community
• I have read docs.revenuecat.com
• I have searched for existing Github issues

Describe the bug

PurchasesException inherits from Exception which inherits from Throwable which implements Serializable, so it must be “serializable” but it’s not.
When you try to serialize a PurchasesException, a NotSerializableException is thrown because the underlying PurchasesError doesn’t implement Serializable.

In the case of my app (which keeps some Exceptions for error dialog), it crashes when onSaveInstanceState is called.

1. Environment

   1. Platform: Android
   2. SDK version: 8.10.6
   3. OS version: 15
   4. Android Studio version:
   5. How widespread is the issue. Percentage of devices affected.

2. Debug logs that reproduce the issue

3. Steps to reproduce, with a description of expected vs. actual behavior

   1. Try to serialize PurchasesException.

   Expected: PurchasesException is serialized.
   Actual: NotSerializableException is thrown.

4. Other information (e.g. stacktraces, related issues, suggestions how to fix, links for us to have context, eg. stackoverflow, etc.)
   Sample code:

   var exception = PurchasesException(PurchasesError(PurchasesErrorCode.UnknownError, "Serialize test."))
   
   @Suppress("USELESS_IS_CHECK")
   println(exception is Serializable)  // <- true of course
   
   var bundle = Bundle().apply {
        putSerializable("exception", exception)
   }
   
   val parcel = Parcel.obtain()
   try {
        // Write
        parcel.writeBundle(bundle)  // <- CRASH!
   
        // Read
        parcel.setDataPosition(0)
        bundle = parcel.readBundle(javaClass.classLoader)!!
   } finally {
        parcel.recycle()
   }
   
   exception = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) {
        bundle.getSerializable("exception", PurchasesException::class.java)
   } else {
        @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
        bundle.getSerializable("exception") as PurchasesException?
   }!!
   println(exception)
   println(exception.underlyingErrorMessage)

   android.os.BadParcelableException: Parcelable encountered IOException writing serializable object (name = com.revenuecat.purchases.PurchasesException)
   	at android.os.Parcel.writeSerializable(Parcel.java:2966)
   	at android.os.Parcel.writeValue(Parcel.java:2732)
   	at android.os.Parcel.writeValue(Parcel.java:2531)
   	at android.os.Parcel.writeArrayMapInternal(Parcel.java:1395)
   	at android.os.BaseBundle.writeToParcelInner(BaseBundle.java:1843)
   	at android.os.Bundle.writeToParcel(Bundle.java:1483)
   	at android.os.Parcel.writeBundle(Parcel.java:1464)
   ... 
   Caused by: java.io.NotSerializableException: com.revenuecat.purchases.PurchasesError
   	at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject0(ObjectOutputStream.java:1240)
   	at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.defaultWriteFields(ObjectOutputStream.java:1620)
   	at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeSerialData(ObjectOutputStream.java:1581)
   	at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeOrdinaryObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1490)
   	at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject0(ObjectOutputStream.java:1234)
   	at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:354)
   	at android.os.Parcel.writeSerializable(Parcel.java:2961)
   ...
   

   Here are some suggestions:

   Make PurchasesError a Serializable

   Simply implement Serializable.

   purchases/src/main/kotlin/com/revenuecat/purchases/errors.kt:

   import android.os.Parcelable
   import kotlinx.parcelize.IgnoredOnParcel
   import kotlinx.parcelize.Parcelize
   + import java.io.Serializable
   
   ...
   
   @Parcelize
   class PurchasesError(
       val code: PurchasesErrorCode,
       val underlyingErrorMessage: String? = null,
   - ) : Parcelable {
   + ) : Parcelable, Serializable {
       ...
   }

   or

   Override the writeObject / readObject methods of PurchasesException

   When serializing, convert PurchasesError into a byte array with Parcel and write it to the stream. And do the reverse when deserializing.

   purchases/src/main/kotlin/com/revenuecat/purchases/PurchasesException.kt:

   import android.os.Build
   import android.os.Parcel
   import com.revenuecat.purchases.PurchasesError
   import com.revenuecat.purchases.PurchasesErrorCode
   import java.io.IOException
   import java.io.ObjectInputStream
   import java.io.ObjectOutputStream
   
   open class PurchasesException(error: PurchasesError) : Exception() {
        @Transient
        var error: PurchasesError = error
             private set
   
        val code: PurchasesErrorCode
             get() = error.code
   
        val underlyingErrorMessage: String?
             get() = error.underlyingErrorMessage
   
        override val message: String
             get() = error.message
   
        @Throws(IOException::class)
        private fun writeObject(out: ObjectOutputStream) {
             out.defaultWriteObject()
   
             val parcel = Parcel.obtain()
             try {
                  parcel.writeParcelable(error, 0)
                  out.writeObject(parcel.marshall())
             } finally {
                  parcel.recycle()
             }
        }
   
        @Throws(IOException::class, ClassNotFoundException::class)
        private fun readObject(`in`: ObjectInputStream) {
             `in`.defaultReadObject()
   
             val data = `in`.readObject() as ByteArray
   
             val parcel = Parcel.obtain()
             try {
                  parcel.unmarshall(data, 0, data.size)
                  parcel.setDataPosition(0)
                  error = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) {
                       parcel.readParcelable(javaClass.classLoader, PurchasesError::class.java)
                  } else {
                       @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
                       parcel.readParcelable(javaClass.classLoader)
                  }!!
             } finally {
                  parcel.recycle()
             }
        }
   }

   Add the following configuration to Proguard:
   https://www.guardsquare.com/manual/configuration/examples#serializable

   -keepclassmembers class * implements java.io.Serializable {
        private static final java.io.ObjectStreamField[] serialPersistentFields;
        private void writeObject(java.io.ObjectOutputStream);
        private void readObject(java.io.ObjectInputStream);
        java.lang.Object writeReplace();
        java.lang.Object readResolve();
   }

Additional context

Thanks.

[RCGitBot]

👀 We've just linked this issue to our internal tracker and notified the team. Thank you for reporting, we're checking this out!

[tonidero]

Hi @MMP0 , thanks for reporting and sorry for the late response! We just merged #2031 which should make PurchasesError serializable. This should be released soon. Will close this but feel free to reopen if you have other issues or any questions!

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