Comment on JEP 305

[Brian Goetz]

On 1/8/2020 11:09 AM, alex at syncwords.com wrote:
> Flow-typing of local variables covers 80% of use-cases.

Framing is everything!  It may cover 80% of the use cases of this kind 
that you think are important to cover, but that's not the same thing.  
Flow typing of local variables covers about 1% of the use cases that 
pattern matching does; it just so happens we're introducing it in 
stages, and in the first stage, it is easy to confuse the two features 
(or ignore the parts of one of them that you don't think are important.)

In any case, we hear you loud and clear that "flow typing is all I need" 
and that you are skeptical about pattern matching -- which is a 
perfectly fine opinion.  It may, or may not, make you feel better that 
these feature ideas and observations (especially about variable name 
shadowing, which seems to be your main gripe) have all been well covered 
in the design exploration -- we just came to a different set of 
conclusions and priorities.

In any case, bear in mind this is not the "let's debate what features we 
think Java ought to have" list -  there are many places in the real 
world, and on the internet, where you can do that, and you'll find 
willing interlocutors.  (To put it in terms I know you're familiar with: 
"this topic has been closed because it is primarily opinion-based.")