Name: krT82822 Date: 11/04/99


The compilation of the following program fails:

class Test {
  boolean m(boolean x, boolean y) {
    boolean z;
    if ( x ? (z = y) : false ) return z;
    // Variable z may not have been initialized
    return x;
  }
}

According to the rules for definite assignment in Chapter 16 of the Java
Language Specification, however, the variable z is

  "definitely assigned after `x ? (z = y) : false' when true".

Reason:
1) z is definitely assigned after `z = y' when true (16.1.13)
2) z is definitely assigned after `false' when true (16.1.1)
3) z is definitely assigned after `x ? (z = y) : false' when true (16.1.11).
4) z is definitely assigned before `return z' (16.2.6)

Therefore I believe that the compiler should accept the second version
of the program, too.

The following equivalent program compiles without error:

class Test {
  boolean m(boolean x, boolean y) {
    boolean z;
    if ( x && (z = y) ) return z;
    return x;
  }
}
(Review ID: 97383)
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