Summary

Add covariant overrides to resolveConstantDesc(Lookup) in ClassDesc, MethodTypeDesc, and MethodHandleDesc interfaces.

Problem

Calls to resolveConstantDesc(Lookup) on the 3 interfaces require casting results, while the calls to other implementations, such as String or DynamicConstantDesc, do not.

Solution

Add covariant overrides of resolveConstantDesc(Lookup) in these three classes. Move the API notes for MethodTypeDesc.resolveConstantDesc(Lookup) to MethodTypeDesc itself, and add a general API note in ConstantDesc about the potential resolution errors.

Specification

diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ClassDesc.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ClassDesc.java
index 3f0604b336a..06601c475b3 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ClassDesc.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ClassDesc.java
@@ -362,6 +363,9 @@ public sealed interface ClassDesc
      */
     String descriptorString();

+    @Override
+    Class<?> resolveConstantDesc(MethodHandles.Lookup lookup) throws ReflectiveOperationException;
+
     /**
      * Compare the specified object with this descriptor for equality.  Returns
      * {@code true} if and only if the specified object is also a
diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ConstantDesc.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ConstantDesc.java
index 2be66b7002c..ee2bc7fce96 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ConstantDesc.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/ConstantDesc.java
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ public sealed interface ConstantDesc
      * could not be reflectively resolved in the course of resolution
      * @throws LinkageError if a linkage error occurs
      *
-     * @apiNote {@linkplain MethodTypeDesc} can represent method type descriptors
-     * that are not representable by {@linkplain MethodType}, such as methods with
-     * more than 255 parameter slots, so attempts to resolve these may result in errors.
+     * @apiNote Some constant descriptors, such as {@linkplain MethodTypeDesc}, can represent
+     * a value that is not representable by run-time entities. Attempts to resolve these may
+     * result in errors.
      *
      * @jvms 5.4.3 Resolution
      * @jvms 5.4.4 Access Control

diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodHandleDesc.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodHandleDesc.java
index 8c9ee15208e..9e8633d26e0 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodHandleDesc.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodHandleDesc.java
@@ -204,6 +204,9 @@ public sealed interface MethodHandleDesc
      */
     MethodTypeDesc invocationType();

+    @Override
+    MethodHandle resolveConstantDesc(MethodHandles.Lookup lookup) throws ReflectiveOperationException;
+
     /**
      * Compares the specified object with this descriptor for equality.  Returns
      * {@code true} if and only if the specified object is also a
diff --git a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodTypeDesc.java b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodTypeDesc.java
index 4750231ce37..175d91bf3f6 100644
--- a/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodTypeDesc.java
+++ b/src/java.base/share/classes/java/lang/constant/MethodTypeDesc.java
@@ -188,6 +189,16 @@ public sealed interface MethodTypeDesc
                              returnType().displayName());
     }

+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     *
+     * @apiNote {@linkplain MethodTypeDesc} can represent method type descriptors
+     * that are not representable by {@linkplain MethodType}, such as methods with
+     * more than 255 parameter slots, so attempts to resolve these may result in errors.
+     */
+    @Override
+    MethodType resolveConstantDesc(MethodHandles.Lookup lookup) throws ReflectiveOperationException;
+
     /**
      * Compares the specified object with this descriptor for equality.  Returns
      * {@code true} if and only if the specified object is also a