RFR: 8366561: Improve documentation for how the -Xlint flag works [v3]

Archie Cobbs acobbs at openjdk.org
Tue Sep 23 17:18:45 UTC 2025


> This is a documentation-only change to improve compiler documentation around the `-Xlint` flag and lint categories.
> 
> * Changes to `--help` output:
>   * Note that `--enable-preview` disables the `preview` lint category as a side-effect
> 
> * Changes to `--help-extra` output:
>   * Refer to "lint warning categories" instead of "warning categories" when appropriate (not all warnings are lint warnings)
>   * Note that `-Xlint` enables all lint categories (sync with man page)
>   * Note that some categories are enabled by default even without any `-Xlint` flags
> 
> * Changes to `--help-lint` output:
>   * Refer to "lint warning categories" instead of "warning categories" when appropriate (not all warnings are lint warnings)
>   * Sort lint categories and aliases alphabetically together
>   * Indicate which lint categories are enabled by default
>   * Tighten up "alias" verbiage and generalize it to work with future possible category aliases
>   * Add a footer blurb clarifying that aliases are fully interchangeable with their primary keys
> 
> * Changes to `module-info.java` javadoc:
>   * Clarify that `@SuppressWarnings` ignores unrecognized strings
>   * Remove lint categories not actually supported by `@SuppressWarnings` from the list of such
>   * Put them in a separate table instead
> 
> * Changes to the `javac(1)` man page:
>   * Sync with the above changes to `--help`, `--help-extra`, and `--help-lint`

Archie Cobbs has updated the pull request with a new target base due to a merge or a rebase. The incremental webrev excludes the unrelated changes brought in by the merge/rebase. The pull request contains nine additional commits since the last revision:

 - Merge branch 'master' into JDK-8366561 to get recent build fixes.
 - Changes based on CSR review suggestions.
 - Minor code cleanup.
 - Clarify that "processing" is not supported by @SuppressWarnings.
 - Synchronize --help-extra and man page descriptions of the "-Xlint" flag.
 - Minor refactoring creating method Lint.getDefaults().
 - Update man page with the same improvements applied to help output.
 - Note that unrecognized strings in @SuppressWarnings annotations are ignored.
 - Documentation improvements relating to -Xlint and lint categories.

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

Changes:
  - all: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/27129/files
  - new: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/27129/files/a497a469..dd59cabc

Webrevs:
 - full: https://webrevs.openjdk.org/?repo=jdk&pr=27129&range=02
 - incr: https://webrevs.openjdk.org/?repo=jdk&pr=27129&range=01-02

  Stats: 169936 lines in 2002 files changed: 135604 ins; 22142 del; 12190 mod
  Patch: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/27129.diff
  Fetch: git fetch https://git.openjdk.org/jdk.git pull/27129/head:pull/27129

PR: https://git.openjdk.org/jdk/pull/27129


More information about the compiler-dev mailing list