jdk1.4.0beta-b54 Class.newInstance() incorrectly throws IllegalAccessException

Name: poR10007 Date: 03/11/2001



jdk1.4.0beta-b54 java.lang.Class: newInstance() incorrectly throws IllegalAccessException
creating an instance of the class from the same package with protected nullary constructor.

Such a behavior contradicts to the API spec for Class.newInstance
that reads:

  "Creates a new instance of the class represented by this Class object.
   The class is instantiated as if by a new expression with an empty
   argument list."
   
A new expression with an empty argument list should pass in this case
(and it really passes) because of demands of JLS-2 section 6.6.1
"Determining accessibility":

  "A member (class, interface, field, or method) of a reference (class,
   interface, or array) type or a constructor of a class type is accessible
   only if the type is accessible and the member or constructor is declared
   to permit access:
   ...
   - Otherwise, if the member or constructor is declared protected,
     then access is permitted only when one of the following is true:
     
      - Access to the member or constructor occurs from within the
        package containing the class in which the protected member
        or constructor is declared.
      - ... "

jdk1.4.0beta-b53 java.lang.Class: newInstance() doesn't throw IllegalAccessException.

The following test demonstrates the behavior:

--Test.java---------------------------------------------------
package test;

public class Test {
    public static void main(String args[]) throws Exception {
Subtest o = new Subtest();
Subtest o1 = (Subtest)o.getClass().newInstance();
    }
}
--------------------------------------------------------------

--Subtest.java------------------------------------------------
package test;

public class Subtest extends Test{
    protected Subtest() {}
}
--------------------------------------------------------------

The execution log is following:

$ jdk1.4.0beta-b54/solsparc/bin/java -version
java version "1.4.0-beta"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.0-beta-b54)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4beta-B54, mixed mode)
$ jdk1.4.0beta-b54/solsparc/bin/javac -d . Test.java Subtest.java
$ jdk1.4.0beta-b54/solsparc/bin/java -cp . test.Test
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.IllegalAccessException: Class test.Test can not access a
member of class test.Subtest with modifiers "protected"
        at sun.reflect.Reflection.ensureMemberAccess(Reflection.java:50)
        at java.lang.Class.newInstance0(Class.java:278)
        at java.lang.Class.newInstance(Class.java:243)
        at test.Test.main(Test.java:6)
$ jdk1.4.0beta-b53/solsparc/bin/java -cp . test.Test
$ echo $?
0
$

Justfication:
The bug prevents Jmpp to work correctly.
This causes JCK build failure.

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Name: elR10090 Date: 03/13/2001



This bug also affects the test from testbase_nsk:

    nsk/logging/Formatter/Formatter/formatter001



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