Overriding a default method

["Zdeněk Troníček"]

It is analogous but the quantitative differences are huge. Almost all
parameter types in Java API are declared as interfaces and so something
evil may happen whenever you use an API method that accepts as parameter
interface with a default method.
If you unintentionaly override a method from superclass, the situation
when Java API may call such method is quite rare.
I do not think you should be warned when you unintentionaly override
something but when you override something that may be called from Java API
and you might not be aware of it.

Z.
-- 
Zdenek Tronicek
FIT CTU in Prague


Brian Goetz napsal(a):
> Most of the "what if" questions about default methods can be answered by
> analogy to methods in classes.  So, turning your question back around:
>
> "If a new method were added to a class in JDK 8, and that method exists in
> a pre-existing subclass, should the compiler provide any sort of
> informational diagnostic, in the event that the collision was
> unintentional?"
>
> We have a lot of experience with which to answer this question: no.  The
> way Java has always worked is that if method name and signatures match, it
> is the same method.  (The same happens when there are identical method
> signatures in two interfaces that are inherited by some type; they are
> "merged" and the collision is assumed to be intentional.)
>
> Many of the "scary" situations that arise with default methods actually
> have always been possible with abstract classes.  The difference is at
> most a quantitative one; it is possible this situation might come up "more
> often" going forward.
>
> I don't think the answer is new warnings for what is essentially an old
> problem.  However, there is an initiative underway to improve the accuracy
> of @since Javadoc tags.  If we had complete and reliable @since tags, it
> becomes practical for code auditing tools to be able to warn you of
> situations like the one you raise, such as with a "library upgrade
> pre-flight tool" that would warn you when changes in libraries might
> affect the inheritance characteristics of your classes.
>
>
> On Aug 9, 2012, at 7:56 AM, Zdeněk Troníček wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> if a new method is added to an existing interface in JDK 8, e.g. skip()
>> to
>> Iterator:
>>
>> public interface Iterator<E> {
>>  boolean hasNext();
>>  E next();
>>  void remove();
>>
>>  void skip(int i) default {
>>    for (; i > 0 && hasNext(); i--) next();
>>  }
>> }
>>
>> it may happen that existing implementations have already a method of the
>> same name. This method overrides the default method which is ok if it is
>> intentional. However, unintentional overriding may lead to severe bugs
>> when the method has different semantics.
>> Do you plan to emit a warning at compile time, for example, when a class
>> overrides a default method and @Override is missing?
>>
>> Z.
>> --
>> Zdenek Tronicek
>> FIT CTU in Prague
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>