Summary

Add new accessor methods to AccessFlag.Location and correct the historical locations reported by AccessFlag.SYNTHETIC.

Problem

1. In the ClassFile API and other locations, we often mention about IllegalArgumentException caused by the mismatch of masks for access flags, but we never provided a way to easily detect if a mask has mismatch.
2. We cannot easily get the AccessFlag for a location; it's easy the other way around.
3. ACC_SYNTHETIC was added in Java SE Platform 5.0, but current AccessFlag.SYNTHETIC behaves as if it was only added in 7. Keeping this inconsistent behavior increases the implementation complexity of the new methods.

Solution

1. Add these new methods to AccessFlag.Location:

   • int flagsMask()
   • int flagsMask(ClassFileFormatVersion)
   • Set<AccessFlag> flags()
   • Set<AccessFlag> flags(ClassFileFormatVersion)

2. Change the behavior of AccessFlag.SYNTHETIC to apply to all of classes, inner classes, methods, and fields from releases 5.0 to 7, to ensure consistency between AccessFlag and AccessFlag.Location.

3. Document that historical locations may return empty if the flag does not exist, and the no-CFFV version is for the current version, which is more accurate than "latest".

4. Reimplement maskToAccessFlags withe the location-based information, making it align with the immutable collections in this process (UOE, null hostility)

Specification

@@ -425,31 +307,31 @@ public Set<Location> apply(ClassFileFormatVersion cffv) {
     /**
-     * {@return the corresponding integer mask for the access flag}
+     * {@return the corresponding mask for the access flag}  The mask has
+     * exactly one bit set and is in the range of {@code char}.
      */
     public int mask() {
     }

     /**
-     * {@return whether or not the flag has a directly corresponding
+     * {@return whether or not this flag has a directly corresponding
      * modifier in the Java programming language}
      */
     public boolean sourceModifier() {
@@ -458,7 +339,7 @@ public boolean sourceModifier() {

     /**
-     * {@return kinds of constructs the flag can be applied to in the
-     * latest class file format version}
+     * {@return locations this flag can be applied to in the current class file
+     * format version}
+     * <p>
+     * This method returns an empty set if this flag is not defined in
+     * the current class file format version.
      */
     public Set<Location> locations() {
         return locations;
@@ -467,16 +348,15 @@ public Set<Location> locations() {
     /**
-     * {@return kinds of constructs the flag can be applied to in the
-     * given class file format version}
+     * {@return locations this flag can be applied to in the given class file
+     * format version}
+     * <p>
+     * This method returns an empty set if this flag is not defined in
+     * the given {@code cffv}.
+     *
      * @param cffv the class file format version to use
      * @throws NullPointerException if the parameter is {@code null}
      */
     public Set<Location> locations(ClassFileFormatVersion cffv) {
     }

     /**
@@ -516,57 +418,129 @@ public static Set<AccessFlag> maskToAccessFlags(int mask, Location location) {
     public enum Location {
         /**
          * Class location.
-         * @jvms 4.1 The ClassFile Structure
+         *
+         * @see Class#accessFlags()
+         * @see ClassModel#flags()
+         * @jvms 4.1 The {@code ClassFile} Structure
          */
         CLASS,

         /**
          * Field location.
+         *
+         * @see Field#accessFlags()
+         * @see FieldModel#flags()
          * @jvms 4.5 Fields
          */
         FIELD,

         /**
          * Method location.
+         *
+         * @see Executable#accessFlags()
+         * @see MethodModel#flags()
          * @jvms 4.6 Methods
          */
         METHOD,

         /**
          * Inner class location.
-         * @jvms 4.7.6 The InnerClasses Attribute
+         *
+         * @see Class#accessFlags()
+         * @see InnerClassInfo#flags()
+         * @jvms 4.7.6 The {@code InnerClasses} Attribute
          */
         INNER_CLASS,

         /**
          * Method parameter location.
-         * @jvms 4.7.24 The MethodParameters Attribute
+         *
+         * @see Parameter#accessFlags()
+         * @see MethodParameterInfo#flags()
+         * @jvms 4.7.24 The {@code MethodParameters} Attribute
          */
         METHOD_PARAMETER,

         /**
-         * Module location
-         * @jvms 4.7.25 The Module Attribute
+         * Module location.
+         *
+         * @see ModuleDescriptor#accessFlags()
+         * @see ModuleAttribute#moduleFlags()
+         * @jvms 4.7.25 The {@code Module} Attribute
          */
         MODULE,

         /**
-         * Module requires location
-         * @jvms 4.7.25 The Module Attribute
+         * Module requires location.
+         *
+         * @see ModuleDescriptor.Requires#accessFlags()
+         * @see ModuleRequireInfo#requiresFlags()
+         * @jvms 4.7.25 The {@code Module} Attribute
          */
         MODULE_REQUIRES,

         /**
-         * Module exports location
-         * @jvms 4.7.25 The Module Attribute
+         * Module exports location.
+         *
+         * @see ModuleDescriptor.Exports#accessFlags()
+         * @see ModuleExportInfo#exportsFlags()
+         * @jvms 4.7.25 The {@code Module} Attribute
          */
         MODULE_EXPORTS,

         /**
-         * Module opens location
-         * @jvms 4.7.25 The Module Attribute
+         * Module opens location.
+         *
+         * @see ModuleDescriptor.Opens#accessFlags()
+         * @see ModuleOpenInfo#opensFlags()
+         * @jvms 4.7.25 The {@code Module} Attribute
          */
         MODULE_OPENS;

         // Repeated sets of locations used by AccessFlag constants
         private static final Set<Location> EMPTY_SET = Set.of();
@@ -618,37 +572,218 @@ public enum Location {
+
+        /**
+         * {@return the union of masks of all access flags defined for
+         * this location in the current class file format version}
+         * <p>
+         * This method returns {@code 0} if this location does not exist in
+         * the current class file format version.
+         *
+         * @since 25
+         */
+        public int flagsMask() {
+            return flagsMask;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * {@return the union of masks of all access flags defined for
+         * this location in the given class file format version}
+         * <p>
+         * This method returns {@code 0} if this location does not exist in
+         * the given {@code cffv}.
+         *
+         * @param cffv the class file format version
+         * @throws NullPointerException if {@code cffv} is {@code null}
+         * @since 25
+         */
+        public int flagsMask(ClassFileFormatVersion cffv) {
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * {@return the set of access flags defined for this location in the
+         * current class file format version}  The set is immutable.
+         * <p>
+         * This method returns an empty set if this location does not exist
+         * in the current class file format version.
+         *
+         * @since 25
+         */
+        public Set<AccessFlag> flags() {
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * {@return the set of access flags defined for this location in the
+         * given class file format version}  The set is immutable.
+         * <p>
+         * This method returns an empty set if this location does not exist
+         * in the given {@code cffv}.
+         *
+         * @param cffv the class file format version
+         * @throws NullPointerException if {@code cffv} is {@code null}
+         * @since 25
+         */
+        public Set<AccessFlag> flags(ClassFileFormatVersion cffv) {
+        }