RFR: 8231436: Fix the applicability of a no- at Target annotation type

[Liam Miller-Cushon]

On Wed, 3 Feb 2021 18:20:15 GMT, Liam Miller-Cushon <cushon at openjdk.org> wrote:

>> Maybe we should collect the concrete information about this problem. Here are some materials that I know.
>> 
>> Order by time:
>> - 2019.08 **Werner Dietl** launched the discussion. [1]
>> - 2019.09 After the discussion between **Alex Buckley** and **Michael Ernst**, an initiative result came out.[2]
>> - 2019.09 Two JBS issues were filed. [3][4]
>> - 2019.12 **Alex Buckley** fixed the JLS(fix version: 14). But the compiler code and javadoc were not fixed. [5][6]
>> - 2020.10 **Christian Stein** created another issue about it. [7]
>> - 2020.10 **Guoxiong Li**(me) submitted a PR about it in Github. [8]
>> - 2020.10 **Joel Borggrén-Franck** restarted the discussion about the specification. [9]
>> - 2020.12 Because the JDK16 was nearly at RDP1, we decided to only fix JDK-8254023. And other work left to JDk17.  [7][10][11]
>> - 2020.12 The issue JDK-8254023 was fixed at JDK16. [7][8][12]
>> - **Now, we need to discuss the problem(unify the specification, implement and javadoc) that JDK16 has left.**[11]
>> 
>> [1] https://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/compiler-dev/2019-August/013666.html
>> [2] https://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/compiler-dev/2019-September/013705.html
>> [3] https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8231435
>> [4] https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8231436
>> [5] https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se14/html/jls-9.html#jls-9.6.4.1
>> [6] https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/14/docs/api/java.base/java/lang/annotation/Target.html
>> [7] https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8254023
>> [8] https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/pull/622
>> [9] https://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/compiler-dev/2020-October/015197.html
>> [10] http://openjdk.java.net/projects/jdk/16/
>> [11] https://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/compiler-dev/2020-December/015503.html
>> [12] https://github.com/openjdk/jdk16/pull/34
>
> Thanks, I was missing context here. I now realize this patch is fixing a bug related to [JDK-8254023](https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8254023)--when the handling of annotations without `@Target` was updated to allow them to be applied to module declarations, the handling of repeatable annotations without `@Target` should also have been updated. I filed a new bug for the sub-issue that this patch is fixing, and will update it accordingly in a minute: https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8261088
> 
> I'm also happy to help with any work to be done on the larger question of interpreting `@Target`-less annotations as applicable to type contexts, if there's agreement about what to do there.

I spun the original change that related specifically to repeatable annotations and `@Target(MODULE)` out into https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/pull/2412 and filed corresponding CSR [JDK-8261181](https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8261181).

I will look at updating this review to actually implement the change to make no-`@Target` annotations applicable to all contexts next.

-------------

PR: https://git.openjdk.java.net/jdk/pull/2303