Name: jl125535 Date: 04/24/2002


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Object.equals() should be explicitly state that it
*always* must implement an equivalence relation.
The current documentation uses "should" where it should
read "must".

Other bug evaluations, for example

http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4034796.html
http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4233802.html

seem to indicate that Object.equals() really always must
be symmetric etc. and that not even in special cases
exceptions are possible.

(If not, all methods that (may) use equals() would have to
  state explicitly which Object they invoke equals() on, as
the result need not be symmetric).


This bug can be reproduced always.
(Review ID: 145185)
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