Proposal for a simplified syntax for invoking @FunctionalInterface methods

[Maurizio Cimadamore]

This is a question for lambda-dev.

Something like this was present in the very first draft of the lambda 
language support [1] - syntax aside, the main issue with this avenue, is 
that Java has separate namespaces for methods and fields. That is, you 
are able to declare a field AND a method whose type is 'doubleString'. 
So, if you start treating fields in a more method-y way, the namespace 
issue might pop up, and ambiguities might ensue.

[1] - http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~mr/lambda/straw-man/

Maurizio


On 02/03/17 15:10, Timothy Fagan wrote:
> I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum, or if this idea has been
> proposed elsewhere, but I'd like to suggest a simplified syntax for
> invoking @FunctionalInterface methods.
>
> The idea is that if:
> *  foo is a object reference (field, local variable or parameter) whose
> type is a @FunctionalInterface
> *  there is a statement or expression where foo is used as if it were a
> method name
> *  the formal parameters of the statement or expression match the formal
> parameters of the abstract method on the @FunctionalInterface
> *  the formal parameters of the statement or expression do NOT match the
> formal parameters of any other method in scope named foo
> Then:
> *  the statement or expression is compiled as an invocation of the
> @FunctionalInterface abstract method on foo's type.
>
> E.g.
>
> Function<String, String> doubleString = s -> s + s;
>
> // prints "hellohello"
> System.out.println(*doubleString*("hello"));
>
> -Timothy