strongarm: import of strings-variables with line breaks cause problems

I analysed the problem a bit and it seems like the problem is caused by the line breaks "\n", "\r" and "\r\n", which get lost or modified during feature file creation.

The solution might be the introduction of a mulitline string export format in strongarm/feature.
Dependent on the existence of such a line break in a string, the choice of the correct export format can be done.
The following multiline format might be possible:

<?php
  $strongarm = new stdClass;
  $strongarm->disabled = FALSE; /* Edit this to true to make a default strongarm disabled initially */
  $strongarm->api_version = 1;
  $strongarm->format = 'multiline';
  $strongarm->name = 'uc_address_format_840';
  $strongarm->value[] = array('line' => '!company', 'linebreak' => 1,);
  $strongarm->value[] = array('line' => '!first_name !last_name', 'linebreak' => 1,);
  $strongarm->value[] = array('line' => '!street1', 'linebreak' => 1,);
  $strongarm->value[] = array('line' => '!street2', 'linebreak' => 1,);
  $strongarm->value[] = array('line' => '!city, !zone_code !postal_code', 'linebreak' => 1,);
  $strongarm->value[] = array('line' => '!country_name_if', 'linebreak' => 0,);
?>

...with definitions for linebreaks: 0:=none, 1:='\n', 2:='\r', 3:='\r\n'; (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newline#Unicode for more about line breaks)

In this way at import time the correct multiline variable can be recontructed. Further more you have no problems in tracking variable changes - there will be no "overwritten" message for the feature anymore.
The only disadvantage is a lag of readibility in feature-files or when feature-diff is done for the variables. But since there should be no extensive use of multiline variables, this might be a subordinate problem.

Yes I think the indenting causes the problem. The original string definiton of Ubercart module you find in lines 46-51 at page http://drupalcode.org/viewvc/drupal/contributions/modules/ubercart/uc_st...

Here the linebreaks are visible. Please init this string to a variable and try to export and import it with features.

<?php
// Set address format
uc_set_address_format(
  276,
  "!company\r\n".
  "!first_name !last_name\r\n".
  "!street1\r\n".
  "!street2\r\n".
  "!postal_code !city\r\n".
  "!country_name_if"
);
?>

problem derefered with latest versions of ctools/stronarm/features. I was looking to an old named export file, which unfortunately survived during latest feature recreation.