The scope of a class type parameter is too wide

Name: akR10088 Date: 06/09/2004


The JLS3 Draft 8.1.2 Generic Classes and Type Parameters reads:

The scope of a class type parameter is the entire declaration of the class,
except any static members or initializers of the class or of any classes nested within it,
but including the type parameter section itself. Therefore, type parameters can appear
as parts of their own bounds, or as bounds of other type parameters declared in the same
section.

But the following example shows that not only a class type parameter is visible
in a static member, but is not shadowed by a nested declaration.

This test compiles OK:

------------------------------ file X.java
public class X<Z> {

  static public class Y {}

  static public class Y1 <T extends X<Y>> {
  }

}
------------------------
But if we change in the 1st line "Z" to "Y", this "Y" interfere with the
name of a nested class:

------------------------------ file X.java
public class X<Y> {

  static public class Y {}

  static public class Y1 <T extends X<Y>> {
  }

}
------------------------
novo64% javac -source 1.5 X.java
X.java:5: non-static class Y cannot be referenced from a static context
  static public class Y1 <T extends X<Y>> {
                                      ^
1 error
novo64%

The used JDK version is:

novo64% java -version
java version "1.5.0-beta3"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0-beta3-b54)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0-beta3-b54, mixed mode)


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