JDK-8254073, unicode escape preprocessing, and \u005C

[Liam Miller-Cushon]

class T {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.err.println("\u005C\\u005D");
  }
}

Before JDK-8254073, this prints `\]`.

After JDK-8254073, unicode escape processing results in `\\\u005D`, which
results in an 'invalid escape' error for `\u`. Was that deliberate?

JLS 3.3 says

> for each raw input character that is a backslash \, input processing must
consider how many other \ characters contiguously precede it, separating it
from a non-\ character or the start of the input stream. If this number is
even, then the \ is eligible to begin a Unicode escape; if the number is
odd, then the \ is not eligible to begin a Unicode escape.

The difference is in whether `\u005C` (the unicode escape for `\`) counts
as one of the `\` preceding a valid unicode escape.

Does "how many other \ characters contiguously precede it" refer to
preceding raw input characters, or does it refer to preceding characters
after unicode escape processing is performed on them?

JLS 3.3 also mentions that a "character produced by a Unicode escape does
not participate in further Unicode escapes", but I'm not sure if that
applies here, since in the pre-JDK-8254073 interpretation the
unicode-escaped backslash isn't really 'participating' in the second
unicode escape.

Thanks,
Liam
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