text: /*
   * Copyright (c) 2012, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
   * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
   *
   * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
   * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
   * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
   * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
   * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
   *
   * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
   * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
   * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
   * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
   * accompanied this code).
   *
   * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
   * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
   * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
   *
   * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
   * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
   * questions.
   */
  
  package java.lang.invoke;
  
  import java.lang.annotation.*;
  
  /**
   * A field may be annotated as stable if all of its component variables
   * changes value at most once.
   * A field's value counts as its component value.
   * If the field is typed as an array, then all the non-null components
   * of the array, of depth up to the rank of the field's array type,
   * also count as component values.
   * By extension, any variable (either array or field) which has annotated
   * as stable is called a stable variable, and its non-null or non-zero
   * value is called a stable value.
   * <p>
   * Since all fields begin with a default value of null for references
   * (resp., zero for primitives), it follows that this annotation indicates
   * that the first non-null (resp., non-zero) value stored in the field
   * will never be changed.
   * <p>
   * If the field is not of an array type, there are no array elements,
   * then the value indicated as stable is simply the value of the field.
   * If the dynamic type of the field value is an array but the static type
   * is not, the components of the array are <em>not</em> regarded as stable.
   * <p>
   * If the field is an array type, then both the field value and
   * all the components of the field value (if the field value is non-null)
   * are indicated to be stable.
   * If the field type is an array type with rank {@code N > 1},
   * then each component of the field value (if the field value is non-null),
   * is regarded as a stable array of rank {@code N-1}.
   * <p>
   * Fields which are declared {@code final} may also be annotated as stable.
   * Since final fields already behave as stable values, such an annotation
   * indicates no additional information, unless the type of the field is
   * an array type.
   * <p>
   * It is (currently) undefined what happens if a field annotated as stable
   * is given a third value.  In practice, if the JVM relies on this annotation
   * to promote a field reference to a constant, it may be that the Java memory
   * model would appear to be broken, if such a constant (the second value of the field)
   * is used as the value of the field even after the field value has changed.
   */
  /* package-private */
  @Target(ElementType.FIELD)
  @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
  @interface Stable {
  }
  