more specific method inference

[Rafkind, Jon]

On 12/19/2013 03:34 PM, Dan Smith wrote:
> On Dec 13, 2013, at 3:32 PM, Rafkind, Jon <jon.rafkind at hp.com> wrote:
>
>> I don't quite understand how more specific method inference (18.5.4) is
>> supposed to work. Given these functions
>>
>> <Q extends Integer> void f(Q q){}
>> <K extends Number> void f(K k){}
>>
>> f(12) // will call Integer
>>
>> I'm assuming for the moment that determining which function to choose
>> requires the logic of 18.5.4, and if so I don't see how treating the
>> type parameters of m1 as type variables allows reduction to take place.
>>
>> Using the terminology from 18.5.4:
>>
>> let m1 = <Q extends Integer> void f(Q q)
>> let m2 = <K extends Number> void f(K k)
>>
>> S1 = Q
>> P1 = K
>> theta = [K:=a1]
>> T1 = a1
>> B = [a1 <: Number]
>>
>> S1 is a proper type (Q) but T1 is not (a1), so generate the constraint
>> {Q <: a1}.
>>
>> B' = reduce({Q <: a1}, B)
>>
>> {Q <: a1} is reduced to the bound (S <: a1).
>>
>> B' = incorporate((S <: a1), [a1 <: Number])
>> = S <: Number
> I assume by "S" you mean "Q" here.
>
> The resulting bound set (B') is
> { Q <: a1, a1 <: Number }
>
> Which can be resolved: a1 = Q.
>
>> And thats all. Technically B' is not false so I suppose the logic
>> 'worked', but if m1 and m2 were reversed (so m1 = Number and m2 =
>> Integer) then we would have selected the method that uses Number as a
>> bound to be more specific. Also 'Integer' is no where in sight during
>> the process.
> 'Integer' appears in incorporation: Q <: Number because Q extends Integer.
>

Is this because a type variable counts as a proper type? I should have
been more clear about my confusion. 18.2.3 explicitly mentions T can be
a type variable in (S <: T) but does not say S can be a type variable.
The only case that seems to allow S to be a type variable is the first case

  If S and T are proper types, the constraint reduces to true if S is a
subtype of T (4.10), and false otherwise.

If so, then it seems the first case would subsume some cases that are
supposed to be handled by the case starting with "If T is a type
variable..."