FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.6.0_0"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (IcedTea6 1.6.2) (suse-0.1-x86_64)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 14.0-b16, mixed mode)


ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux xxx 2.6.25.20-0.7-default #1 SMP 2010-02-26 20:32:57 +0100 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
There is a different handling for final member in constructor: Accessing by this or without this lead to a compile error or does not.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
/tmp/java> javac FinalClass.java
/tmp/java> java FinalClass foo
before init : this.s == null
after init : this.s == foo
/tmp/java> javac FinalClass2.java
FinalClass2.java:5: variable s might not have been initialized
if (s != null) {
^
1 error
/tmp/java>

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
I'd prefer to get a compile error for FinalClass, too. But according to http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/memory.html#17.5.2 neither should lead to a compile error.

ACTUAL -
FinalClass is compilable, FinalClass2 is not

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
FinalClass2.java:5: variable s might not have been initialized
if (s != null) {
^
1 error

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class FinalClass {
private final String s;

public FinalClass(String ss) {
if (this.s != null) {
System.out.println("before init\t: this.s != null : " + this.s);
} else {
System.out.println("before init\t: this.s == null");
}
this.s = ss;
System.out.println("after init\t: this.s == " + this.s);
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
new FinalClass(args[0]);
}
}


#######################################

public class FinalClass2 {
private final String s;

public FinalClass2(String ss) {
if (s != null) {
System.out.println("before init\t: this.s != null : " + this.s);
} else {
System.out.println("before init\t: this.s == null");
}
this.s = ss;
System.out.println("after init\t: this.s == " + this.s);
}

public static void main(String[] args) {
new FinalClass2(args[0]);
}
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------