FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.8.0_60"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_60-b27)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.60-b23, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux Mint (Rebecca, 3.13.0-37-generic #64-Ubuntu SMP)
Mac OS X Yosemite

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Attempting to create a method reference super::Identifier fails when:

- Superclass is declared in a different package
- Method being referenced is declared protected in Superclass

This compiles properly in Eclipse, but fails in Oracle JDK 8 javac.

According to JLS 6.6.2, a protected method can be accessed in the body of a subclass, except in the cases mentioned in the bullet points. super::identifier matches none of the cases, "super" not being an ExpressionName, a Primary expression, nor a ReferenceType.

Therefore such access should be allowable, exactly as the invocation super.x() would be.


STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Create the two classes in the test case below, and compile them with

javac package1/Parent.java package2/Child2.java

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Compilation should succeed.
ACTUAL -
Compilation error:



ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
package2/Child2.java:8: error: incompatible types: invalid method reference
        Runnable r = super::protectedMethod;
                     ^
    protectedMethod() has protected access in Parent
1 error


REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
package package1;
 
public class Parent {
 
    protected void protectedMethod() {
        System.out.println("Parent's protected method");
    }
}



package package2;
 
public class Child extends package1.Parent {
 
    public void protectedMethod() {
        System.out.println( "In Child's protected method, calling Parent's" );
        Runnable r = super::protectedMethod;
        r.run();
    }
 
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Child child = new Child();
        child.protectedMethod();
    }
}

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

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Compiling with eclipse