Syntax for calling super

[Peter Levart]

On Thursday, August 23, 2012 11:01:46 AM David Holmes wrote:
> On 23/08/2012 8:13 AM, Brian Goetz wrote:
> > The syntax was designed to be analogous to the "K.this.m()" syntax that
> > is used in inner classes.
> 
> But the semantics are quite different. K.this is a reference to a
> completely different object (the enclosing instance from class K).
> Whereas as K.super is meant to infer something about 'this'.

Intuitively I don't have problems with K.super. I see K.something as something 
qualified with type K. 

In case of "this" it selects the innermost instance of type K, whereas in case 
of "super" it selects the most specific visible member from the 
superclass/superinterface K's hierarchy.

In both cases K is an addidional restriction to the "search strategy".

Regards, Peter

> 
> If anything I think super.K.m() is more natural as an extension to the
> existing super.m() notation.
> 
> David
> -----
> 
> > One problem with the syntax you suggest is that unlike "this", "super"
> > is not a valid expression.
> > 
> > This would be made worse by the inconsistency it would introduce over
> > "this"; currently ((K) this) has a meaning, and the role of casting to
> > an enclosing (K) in that meaning would not be consistent with your
> > suggestion for ((K) super).
> > 
> > That said, we're not married to the K.super.m() syntax if there is an
> > obviously better one.  On the other hand, we don't dislike the
> > K.super.m() syntax either.
> > 
> > On 8/22/2012 5:41 PM, Paul Benedict wrote:
> >> This syntax caught my eye:
> >> 
> >> interface K {
> >> 
> >>     int m() default { return 88; }
> >> 
> >> }
> >> 
> >> interface J extends K {
> >> 
> >>     int m() default { return K.super.m(); }
> >> 
> >> }
> >> 
> >> I really don't think it is is appropriate to code "K.super.m()". An
> >> natural English reading of "K.super" would be "superclass of K" since
> >> it is K that is qualified.... but that's not what the code intends to
> >> be.
> >> 
> >> I would recommend a casting syntax to make the intention clearer:
> >> interface J extends K {
> >> 
> >>     int m() default { return ((K) super).m(); }
> >> 
> >> }
> >> 
> >> Paul