Name: rmT116609 Date: 11/26/2001


java version "1.4.0-beta3"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.0-beta3-b84)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.0-beta3-b84, mixed mode)


As pointed out by the Java Spec Report,
http://www.ergnosis.com/java-spec-report/java-language/jls-8.8.5.1-d.html,
it is legal to reference enclosing types in an explicit constructor invocation.
 For example, this compiles successfully with javac:

$ cat C.java
class C {
  C(Object o) {}
  class Middle extends C {
    Middle(int i) {
      super(null);
    }
    Middle() {
      super(C.this.new Middle(1).new Inner(){});
    }
    class Inner {}
  }
}
$ javac C.java
$

However, remove the reference to C.this, and the compiler throws up its hands.

$ cat C.java
class C {
  C(Object o) {}
  class Middle extends C {
    Middle(int i) {
      super(null);
    }
    Middle() {
      super(/*C.this.*/new Middle(1).new Inner(){}); // only this line changed
    }
    class Inner {}
  }
}
$ javac C.java
C.java:8: cannot reference this before supertype constructor has been called

      super(/*C.this.*/new Middle(1).new Inner(){}); // only this line changed
                       ^
1 error
$

This goes against JLS 15.9.2: Middle is an inner member class, the class
instance creation expression is unqualified, so bullet 3.1.2 applies: the
innermost class O which contains Middle as a member is C, so the enclosing
instance i should be C.this, and the example should compile identically to the
previous example.
(Review ID: 136221)
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