Hello! While I like the idea in general, what is annoying is the necessity to repeat the expression type in every pattern:
This is a "primitive" -- the array analogue of the type pattern -- but other things can build on it. Varargs patterns will build on it (as shown in the mail); if and when Java ever gets collection literals, there will be corresponding collection patterns too. I think the path to streamlining this is not to try and simplify the syntax of the primitive, but move upwards to higher-level patterns.
