[patterns-instanceof] Spec for next version of Patterns in instanceof JEP

[Gavin Bierman]

Following the announcement of JEP 394 [1] the latest version of the spec is now available at:

http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~gbierman/jep394/latest/

I have fixed the bugs spotted by Brian in the previous draft. I have also tidied up the treatment of annotations (See sections 9.6.4.1 and 9.7.4 along with the refactored grammar for type test patterns 14.20.1.1)

Still time to pass on comments!
Gavin

[2] https://openjdk.java.net/jeps/394

> On 5 Oct 2020, at 13:53, Gavin Bierman <gavin.bierman at oracle.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear all:
> 
> A draft of the spec for the Patterns in instanceof feature that we plan to
> finalize in JDK 16 is now available:
> 
> http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~gbierman/8250623/latest/
> 
> [NB: The URL will change once we have a JEP number, and will be announced.]
> 
> The changes are the same as those in the second preview that was released in
> Java SE 16, except for minor editorial changes and the following:
> 
> - To lift the restriction that pattern variables are implicitly final. This
>  allows pattern variables to be considered as a strict subset of local
>  variables. A number of simplifications to the spec result from this change. 
> 
> - To make it a compile-time error for an expression of type _S_ to be matched
>  against a pattern of type _T_, where _S_ is a subtype of _T_. (This pattern
>  match will always succeed and is then pointless. The opposite case, where a
>  pattern match will always fail is already a compile-time error.) 
> 
> Comments welcome!
> 
> Gavin