Code review request for 6908218 "java.lang.Deprecated should have explicit @Target meta-annotation"

[Joseph D. Darcy]

Hello.

Please review my patch to fix 6908218 "java.lang.Deprecated should have 
explicit @Target meta-annotation."

For background, JSR 308 added two new enum constants to ElementType.  
ElementType constants are used in java.lang.annotation.Target 
meta-annotations to indicate what kind of elements an annotation is 
applicable to.
 
If an annotation type does not have a @Target meta-annotation, 
annotations of the annotation type are allowed to be applied to all 
elements.  Therefore, after JSR 308 added new ElementTypes, annotations 
without @Target meta-annotations can now be applied to more kinds of 
things, perhaps inappropriately given the semantics of the annotation.
 
Conversely, annotations that do have a @Target meta-annotations might 
want to be applicable to the new locations.

Two adjustments should be done to platform annotations: @Deprecated 
should get an explicit @Target meta-annotation and @SuppressWarnings 
should be applicable to another ElementType:

--- old/src/share/classes/java/lang/Deprecated.java    2010-01-13 
22:30:49.000000000 -0800
+++ new/src/share/classes/java/lang/Deprecated.java    2010-01-13 
22:30:49.000000000 -0800
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 package java.lang;
 
 import java.lang.annotation.*;
+import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.*;
 
 /**
  * A program element annotated @Deprecated is one that programmers
@@ -38,5 +39,6 @@
  */
 @Documented
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+ at Target(value={CONSTRUCTOR, FIELD, LOCAL_VARIABLE, METHOD, PACKAGE, 
PARAMETER, TYPE})
 public @interface Deprecated {
 }
--- old/src/share/classes/java/lang/SuppressWarnings.java    2010-01-13 
22:30:50.000000000 -0800
+++ new/src/share/classes/java/lang/SuppressWarnings.java    2010-01-13 
22:30:49.000000000 -0800
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 package java.lang;
 
 import java.lang.annotation.*;
-import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
 import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.*;
 
 /**
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@
  * @since 1.5
  * @author Josh Bloch
  */
- at Target({TYPE, FIELD, METHOD, PARAMETER, CONSTRUCTOR, LOCAL_VARIABLE})
+ at Target({TYPE, FIELD, METHOD, PARAMETER, CONSTRUCTOR, LOCAL_VARIABLE, 
TYPE_PARAMETER})
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE)
 public @interface SuppressWarnings {
     /**


For java.lang.Deprecated, the meta-annotation
@Target(value={CONSTRUCTOR, FIELD, LOCAL_VARIABLE, METHOD, PACKAGE, 
PARAMETER, TYPE})
includes all JDK 5/6 era locations annotations can be applied to.  
Therefore, with this list the locations @Deprecated can be applied will 
be unchanged from Java SE 6.
 
JLSv3 mandates warnings be issued for the use of a deprecated "type, 
method, field, or constructor" 
(http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/interfaces.html#9.6.1.6).  
Other permitted applications of an @Deprecated annotation must be 
ignored; "Use of the annotation @Deprecated on a local variable 
declaration or on a parameter declaration has no effect."  Therefore, 
allowing @Deprecated on TYPE_PARAMETER or as a TYPE_USE would not be 
meaningful.

Webrev at:
http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~darcy/6908218.0/

Thanks,

-Joe