Summary

Update the JLS to not require deprecation warnings in import statements.

Problem

The current JLS mandates uninformative deprecation warnings on import statements. Such warnings cannot be suppressed with an @SuppressWarnings annotation.

Solution

Change the specification to not require a warning in this case.

Specification

From JLS, the section on @Deprecated states:

A Java compiler must produce a deprecation warning when a type, method, field, or constructor whose declaration is annotated with the annotation @Deprecated is used (i.e. overridden, invoked, or referenced by name), unless:

• The use is within an entity that is itself annotated with the annotation @Deprecated; or
• The use is within an entity that is annotated to suppress the warning with the annotation @SuppressWarnings("deprecation"); or
• The use and declaration are both within the same outermost class.

See http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se7/html/jls-9.html#jls-9.6.3.6

The specification change is adding another bullet

• The use is within an import statement.