Summary

Update the java.lang.Thread specification in regards to interruption happening while a thread is not alive, to account for a new implementation that tracks the interrupted state at all times in the thread lifecycle.

Problem

The specification for java.lang.Thread::interrupt allows for thread interruption to be a no-op if the thread is not alive:

Interrupting a thread that is not alive need not have any effect.

and the Thread::interrupted and Thread::isInterrupted method reflect the behaviour of the Hotspot VM by stating:

A thread interruption ignored because a thread was not alive at the time of the interrupt will be reflected by this method returning false.

With the new implementation of the interrupted state an accurate record of the interrupt state of a thread is available at all times in the thread's lifecycle and so these parts of the specification are no longer correct.

Solution

We can remove the statements about returning false; and we can add an implementation note that interruption while a thread is not alive is not ignored.

Specification

For Thread::interrupt add:

* @implNote In this implementation, interruption of a thread that is not
* alive still records the interrupt request was made and will report it
* via {@link #interrupted} and {@link #isInterrupted()}.

For Thread::interrupted and Thread::isInterrupted delete:

 * <p>A thread interruption ignored because a thread was not alive
 * at the time of the interrupt will be reflected by this method
 * returning false.