Java Platform Module System

[Stephan Herrmann]

On 06.06.2017 10:15, Stephan Herrmann wrote:
> A quick editorial comment:
> 
> On 29.04.2017 01:25, Alex Buckley wrote:
>  > [...] I have changed 7.3 to state:
>  >
>  > "The host system must use the Java Platform Module System (as if by execution of the 'resolve' method of
>  > java.lang.module.Configuration) to determine which modules are read by M (§7.7.1). It is a compile-time error if the Java Platform
>  > Module System is unable to determine which modules are read by M."
> 
> As of spec version 2017-05-25 I can confirm this issue to be resolved.

This was viewed from the JLS p.o.v. But "read by M" is still not well-defined.
All we see in the documentation of the referenced method is:

    "a readability graph is computed"

With some further searching, we find "readability graph" explained in the
toplevel documentation of class Configuration.

But where in the specification (combination of JLS and API doc) should we
learn the connection between "read" and "requires"? As far as I can see
this fundamental connection is totally implicit.

I know what is meant, but for the final specification this is still needs
to be improved. The specification shouldn't expect the reader to already
know what is specified prior to reading :)

Additionally, this missing link in the specification hides the fact
that it is unspecified how "transitive" contributes to "reads",
which is more severe than the editorial aspect of it.

Stephan