Primitives in instanceof and patterns

[Brian Goetz]

I have a question about your example.  I'm not trying to be clever and 
play "whatabout", I'm looking for a straight answer why you think the 
two cases are different.

>
> If we take a simple example
>   record Point(int x, int y) { }
>   Point point = ...
>   switch(point) {
>    case Point(int i, int j) -> ...
>    ...
>   }
>
> let say know that we change Point to use longs
>   record Point(long x, long y) { }
>
> With the semantics you propose, the code still compile but the pattern 
> is now transformed to a partial pattern that will not match all Points 
> but only the ones with x and y in between Integer.MIN_VALUE and 
> Integer.MAX_VALUE.

The same is true when I start with

      record Foo(String s) { ... }

and later change it to

     record Foo(Object s) { ... }

(both are incompatible changes, but we won't dwell on that.)

My question is: why does it not bother you that use-site patterns like 
`Foo(String s)` are reinterpreted as partial after the String -> Object 
change, but the analogous change with long -> int bothers you so much 
that you'd use it to argue against being able to ask whether a long is 
also an int?

You obviously think that these two examples are radically different.  
Can you explain why?  Is it anything more than "that's the way its 
always been"?
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