type_path of constructors for inner classes

[Werner Dietl]

Hi Joel,

thanks for raising this question!

The JSR 308 spec unfortunately doesn't make it clear what behavior is
required, so maybe it's best to raise the issue to the EG.

A constructor doesn't have a return type in the same sense as a method.
One cannot have annotations on type arguments or outer types on a
constructor result.
The spec says:

"Outer class annotations for a constructor result must be identical to
those on the receiver, so they can be inferred from the annotations on
the receiver."

So not having the location seems OK, because there is no possible ambiguity.

The JavaDoc for javax.lang.model.type.ExecutableType.getReturnType()
currently says:

     * Returns the return type of this executable.
     * Returns a {@link NoType} with kind {@link TypeKind#VOID VOID}
     * if this executable is not a method, or is a method that does not
     * return a value."

So I would assume that the result for an annotated constructor would be
an annotated NoType, containing only the annotations on the result,
without any locations.

A better alternative might be that the result type of the constructor
uses the actual return type instead of NoType and performs the inference
of the annotations from the receiver type.
It would then probably be easier and more consistent if the result
annotations contained the location information.

Other thoughts?
cu, WMD.




On 10/02/2013 03:32 PM, Joel Borggrén-Franck wrote:
> Hi Werner,
> 
> When looking at the byte code for this class:
> 
>   3 public class Test {
>   4     class Inner {
>   5         @Annot(0) public Inner(@Annot(1) Test Test.this) {}
>   6
>   7         public @Annot(5) Inner foo(@Annot(55) Test.Inner Test.Inner.this) { return new Inner(); }
>   8     }
>   9 }
>  10
>  11 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
>  12 @Target(ElementType.TYPE_USE)
>  13 @interface Annot {
>  14     int value();
>  15 }
> 
> javap output this for the method foo();
> 
>   public Test$Inner foo();
>     descriptor: ()LTest$Inner;
> ...
>     RuntimeVisibleTypeAnnotations:
>       0: #13(#14=I#21): METHOD_RETURN, location=[INNER_TYPE]
>       1: #13(#14=I#22): METHOD_RECEIVER
> 
> and this for the ctor:
> 
>  public Test$Inner(Test);
>     descriptor: (LTest;)V
> …
>     RuntimeVisibleTypeAnnotations:
>       0: #13(#14=I#15): METHOD_RETURN
>                                                                         ^^^^^^ no location here ...
>       1: #13(#14=I#16): METHOD_RECEIVER
> 
> I think it is a bug that the ctor METHOD_RETURN lacks the location/encoded type_path.
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> cheers
> /Joel
>