As I mentioned earlier in the thread, it's kind of user-hostile for the Enum javadoc to send the user to the JLS instead of just saying, even briefly, what the methods are. Even more so since it doesn't actually link to the relevant section of the JLS or in fact to the JLS at all. This is not a complaint that the information isn't documented, just that it is too hard to find. Imagine how much work I have to do if I can't remember the name of the method to convert from a string to an enum constant in a new enum I'm writing, and it doesn't occur to me to pick some other random enum and look at its javadoc.
Éamonn 2013/8/20 Jonathan Gibbons <jonathan.gibb...@oracle.com>: > Paul, > > Enums are well covered in JLS 7, section 8.9. In particular, see 8.9.2, Enum > Body Declarations, beginning at the line > > "In addition, if E is the name of an enum type, then that type has the > following implicitly declared static methods:" > > -- Jon > > > On 08/20/2013 06:27 AM, Paul Benedict wrote: >> >> Jon, it's not a problem with the method docs, per se. The issue is about >> how the generation isn't documented. My questioning started because I was >> using several enums without javadoc available, but I did have the source >> available, and couldn't figure out how the method came to be. Since I've >> asked, everyone knew (but me!) it was a generated method, but I couldn't >> divine that knowledge. >> >> My recommendation is to add an @implNote on Enum.valueOf(Class, String) so >> that people know each subclass will get a generated method that behaves >> similarly. What do you think? >> >> >> On Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 9:23 AM, Paul Benedict <pbened...@apache.org >> <mailto:pbened...@apache.org>> wrote: >> >> I have been working with classes that don't have javadoc >> attachments. The problem was I couldn't find the method in the >> source nor was the method part of the Enum class. So where did it >> materialize from? Now I know the answer: the compiler generates it. >> >> I really think this knowledge should be added to the Enum javadoc >> class. I had to go on quite a goose hunt to find this fact. >> >> Paul >> >> >> On Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 3:32 AM, Alan Bateman >> <alan.bate...@oracle.com <mailto:alan.bate...@oracle.com>> wrote: >> >> On 18/08/2013 05:07, Paul Benedict wrote: >> >> I think the generated method needs to be listed in the >> class javadoc at >> least. I presume it throws an exception too (like the >> other valueOf) if the >> String can't be resolved to a constant, but no user is >> going to discover >> this fact through the documentation. >> >> Have you checked the generated avadoc for your enum? The >> valueOf(String) should be there and specified to throw IAE or NPE. >> >> -Alan >> >> >> >> >> >> -- Cheers, >> Paul >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Cheers, >> Paul > >
