A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Try to compile this:

public class JavacBrokenError {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    test(5.0);
  }
  
  void test(double d) {}
  /* static */ void test(Double d) {}
}

This produces a wrong error. The error produced is:
> reference to test is ambiguou
> both method test(Double) in Test and method test(double) in Test match

but this error is twice wrong: [A] no, it's not ambiguous; JLS 15.12.2.2-4 clearly state that the lowercase-d double variant is appropriate, as it works in the strict context (15.12.2.2) whereas the capital-D variant requires loose context (15.12.2.3). However, [B] there IS an error here; the invocation to test (which is non-static) is then from a static context and that's not allowed.

So, the correct, expected behaviour is that javac emits:

> non-static method test(double) cannot be referenced from a static context

Cross-checking with ecj: Yes, it gets it right. Any tweaking of this example returns to proper behaviour; add the 'static' keywords and javac does not complain and compiles correctly. Remove one of the two methods, and javac produces the appropriate (non-static method cannot be referenced) error.

Making only the capital-D-Double method static or not is immaterial; the same bug (an erroneous 'method invocation is ambiguous' error) occurs.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
The bug was hard to explain without a code snippet; all that is needed to reproduce can be found in the 'description' section.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
Test.java:3: error: non-static method test(double) cannot be referenced from a static context
test(5.0);
^
1 error

ACTUAL -
Test.java:3: error: reference to test is ambiguous
test(5.0);
^
  both method test(Double) in Test and method test(double) in Test match
1 error

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class JavacBrokenError {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    test(5.0);
  }
  
  void test(double d) {}
  /* static */ void test(Double d) {}
}


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

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
It's an edge case that isn't particularly likely to come up, and can trivially be worked around by... knowing that the error is misleading. priority low, in other words.


FREQUENCY : always