Talk:Java syntax

message: * Java syntax → Java programming language -- I just switched it; it had been pointing to what's now Curly bracket programming language. I don't think anyone's likely ever to use this redirect. Quuxplusone 21:06, 21 July 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  From [[WP:RfD]] 

message: Anybody reading this article could be forgiven for thinking that Java did not include any semantic requirements (ie, the article reads like everything is specified in the syntax).
This article could do with a major rewrite that separated out the lexical/syntax/semantic issues.  And come on guys, an article on syntax that fails to list at least a few production from the BNF grammar :-O.
Come to think about it, the problem is not the content but the title.  The title "A brief introduction to some Java features" is closer to what the text is about.  Derek farn 15:41, 24 April 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Semantics and BNF grammar 

message: This article does not cover Java annotations or generic/parameterized types. Mike Dillon 15:56, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Java 5 features 

message: Herb Schildt is widely regarded as being one of the worst technical authors around. Should we really be referencing one of his books at the bottom of the article - especially since theres no shortage of other books on Java. 82.71.7.193 22:05, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Book References 

message: I don't have time at the moment, but the article should indicate the operator precedence and discuss operator precedence. —Doug Bell talk•contrib 20:33, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Operator precedence needed 

message: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Java_syntax&diff=130736395&oldid=123256628
Booksonlysuc 01:19, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: My theory is that some overzealous editor saw the Chinese characters and decided to translate for us, without realizing they were intentional.  I restored them. --Max  Talk [ (add)] 01:45, 1 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  why did somebody delete the chinese java example? 

message: * Exception
* Thread object, Runnable interface and their methods
* synchronized block
* local variables and their scope
* Autoboxing
anything else? 220.146.142.210 11:48, 22 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  things needed 

message: Aren't wrapper types immutable? If so, they cannot be used to pass by reference as the article says 201.21.71.226 (talk) 01:40, 25 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Wrapper types as "pass-by-reference"? 

message: :I realize that I am raising this point after the recent AfD referenced above, but it seems pretty odd to me that almost each of the widely used prog. languages out there, with an article on wikipedia (C, C++, C#, JavaScript), also have a syntax article in a very similar structure (C# Syntax ...etc) to the  previous format/content of this article. Thus, Java is now the only language on wikipedia of the same weight, yet a very lacking syntax page.
:After reading the AfD, I understand that the argument made to clean/delete this article was based on valid policies such as those included and referenced from (WP: What Wikipedia is not), however, IMO the syntax articles for any of the aforementioned languages, fitting within one page of average length, can never be comprehensive enough to be considered a prescriptive user guide or manual. They are more of a brief overview of the syntactical properties, features and constructs of a language that are usually necessary to enable a basic  differentiation between a programming language and another, which can be argued to be the most important part of even a high-level understanding a language. Moreover,  if all the syntax articles are removed or reduced accordingly, where can we for instance point out to language properties such as the immutability of strings in Java, C# or JavaScript vs. C and C++? Such details should not be overloaded at the main language article, and yet can be very much argued to be encyclopedic material essential to give a feeling of programming languages evolution. IMO, that's was one of the reasons the syntax articles were created in the first place, and in their current format. This format may need a cleanup as requested in some syntax articles, but shouldn't be a reason for massive content deletion until proven otherwise.
:Also, the fact that this content was copied/transwikied into wiki books can be argued to be not a valid justification for content/article deletion. The content was originally in this article and it can be copied and repeated in dozen other sites yet do not pose an obligation to delete it from the article at hand. Particularly, that it even adds to the inconsistency where a user can check the syntax for the majority of the other languages by searching in wikipedia except now for Java.
:The consensus reached in the AfD was to keep the article with an ongoing debate on rewriting it. Since no consensus have been reached on rewriting the article, and based on other policies such as WP:IMPERFECT and WP:PRESERVE am reverting the article back to its original form and adding a cleanup tag instead to allow the discussion for what to change to continue. Please do not revert back. --K.G. (talk) 23:00, 3 April 2009 (UTC)
replies: text:  There's nothing in that comment which justifies the restoration of the previous version, which has inevitably resulted in nine months of edits which have done nothing to address the points made previously regarding the article content. I would implore future editors to work on the Wikibooks article if they believe that the previous content was worthwhile. Chris Cunningham (not at work) - talk 23:01, 27 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Reverting due to Inconsistency with other existing syntax articles + adding Cleanup

message: What kind of argument is that?
If the other existing syntax articles are crap, it does not mean, that this one should be the same.
There is no use of this article at all after the last improvement.
Is the goal of Wikipedia to be understandable to every mere mortal, who has no interest of Java or any other programming language?
Yet I wish you luck and keep administring!
--62.65.212.117 (talk) 16:50, 28 January 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: What you "need" is available on WikiBooks by following this link. WikiBooks contains a host of information on programming; its purpose is to serve as this sort of repository. Wikipedia is not intended to be everything to everyone; it will tell you what an aircraft is but is not expected to teach you how to fly one. Would that more people in the less-well-travelled parts of the encyclopedia considered this before dumping their life experiences into pages indiscriminately. Chris Cunningham (not at work) - talk 10:44, 29 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Reverting due to Inconsistency with other existing syntax articles 

message: The code shown in the image is not valid Java being that there is no enclosing class - is that appropriate?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.237.145.215 (talk) 11:25, 24 February 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: It's not a valid Java program. But it is valid code nonetheless, and it is said that it's just a code snippet. HotXRock (talk) 14:05, 6 April 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Image of syntax shows a global function 

message: * The import statement loads a specific class or classes from a referenced package.
Does import actually load the class, in the sense of adding all the code from the API into your program? Or does it just tell the compiler where to look?
I thought all the compiled code in the API is already in the virtual machine. Someone downloading, say, an applet from a website wouldn't be downloading the entire util package with a statement like
 import java.util.*
Is this correct --Uncle Ed (talk) 14:17, 7 March 2012 (UTC)
replies: text:  You are right, the import declaration doesn't actually load anything, it only allows to use shorter names for the classes in the file. It doesn't influence the actual code which is produced by a compiler. I'll fix this. HotXRock (talk) 18:54, 7 March 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks, man, you rock! :-) --Uncle Ed (talk) 22:17, 7 March 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: What import actually does

message: According to the JLS 9.7.3, this only works if the omitted element name is 'value'.  Seemed to be true when I tested it out.  OK to change the wording on this example to use 'value' instead of 'fileSystemOperations'? Along the lines of...
:The other short form is called single element annotation. It is used with annotation types where one element is named 'value' and all the other elements have default values.  In single element annotation :form the element name is omitted and only value is written instead:
:/* Equivalent for @BlockingOperations(value = true).
:networkOperations has a default value and
:does not have to be assigned a value */
:@BlockingOperations(true)
:void openOutputStream() {" 
:}
Faolin42 (talk) 23:10, 8 October 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Single Element Annotations