RFR (L) JDK-8230505: Replace JVM type comparisons to T_OBJECT and T_ARRAY with call to is_reference_type

[coleen.phillimore at oracle.com]

On 9/11/19 4:44 PM, coleen.phillimore at oracle.com wrote:
>
>
> On 9/11/19 4:06 PM, John Rose wrote:
>> On Sep 11, 2019, at 11:55 AM, Lois Foltan <lois.foltan at oracle.com 
>> <mailto:lois.foltan at oracle.com>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Thanks Coleen for the review.  I too share your concern about 
>>> calling is_reference_type in the default label of the case 
>>> statement, however I plan to leave as-is because it does allow for 
>>> future reference types like potentially valhalla inline types.
>>
>> This function was introduced as an alternative to editing many switch 
>> statements when a new type of reference is introduced in Valhalla. 
>>  So even though the fix disrupts the clarity of some switches, it’s 
>> belongs as part of this change.
>>
>> The other uses are also helpful, and would have prevented a number of 
>> historical bugs (of the form “I forget T_ARRAY”) if we had adopted 
>> the practice from the first.  Maybe that’s another reason to look at 
>> the switches as something to change rather than keep.
>
> I think if you add a new T_SOME_REFERENCE_TYPE, you're going to have 
> to find and possibly change all these switch statements regardless of 
> this change, and this is going to break your flow.
>
> coleen$ grep -r "case T_OBJECT" | wc -l
> 67
>

coleen$ grep -r "case T_OBJECT" | wc -l
200

I was on the wrong directory level...

Coleen

> This only changes 2 of them.   I like this rest of this change enough 
> that I won't really argue if you want to leave it, but it's going to 
> cause someone to waste some mental energy down the line anyway.
>
> thanks,
> Coleen
>>
>> — John
>>
>>
>