comments reworked

git-svn-id: https://svn.code.sf.net/p/jode/code/trunk@906 379699f6-c40d-0410-875b-85095c16579e

jode/jode/type/Type.java

@@ -31,55 +31,15 @@ import java.util.Hashtable;
 ///#endif
 
 /**
- * This is my type class.  It differs from java.lang.class, in
+ * This is my type class.  It differs from java.lang.class, in that it
- * that it maintains a type range.  This type range may be implicit or
+ * represents a set of types.  Since most times this set is infinite, it
- * explicit. <br>
+ * needs a special representation. <br>
  *
- *
+ * The main operation on a type sets are tSuperType, tSubType and
- * Think of this global type hierarchie:
+ * intersection.
- * <pre>
- *
- *          tUnknown
- *          /   |   \
- *         /    |    \
- *  tObject  boolean  int
- *    /  \            /  \
- *   /  tArray     short char
- * other             | 
- * classes          byte 
- * </pre>
- *
- * int implements the "interface" tBoolInt.  boolean and byte
- * implement the "interface" tBoolByte which extends tBoolInt. <br>
- *
- * The type tBoolInt is <tBoolInt, tUnknown>, the type tBoolByte is
- * <tBoolByte, tUnknown> (hard coded in <code>getTop</code>).  The
- * type tUInt is <int, byte>. <br>
- *
- * Note that tUnknown is no valid type, so we can replace
- * <tUnknown,  byte>  with <int, byte>
- * <tUnknown, tArray> with <tObject, tArray>, <br>
- *
- * Arrays extend Object and implement java.lang.Cloneable and 
- * java.io.Serializable, as defined in jls.
- *
- * The main operation on a type range is the intersection.  To do this
- * on class ranges we need three more operations: specialization,
- * generalization and createRange. <p>
- *
- * specialization chooses the common sub type of the two types.  It
- * is used to find the start point of the intersected interval. <p>
- *
- * generalization chooses the common super type of two types. It
- * is used to find the end point of the intersected interval. <p>
- *
- * When the new interval is created with <code>createRangeType</code>
- * the start and end points are adjusted so that they only consists of
- * possible types.
  *
  * @author Jochen Hoenicke */
 public class Type {
-
     public static final int TC_BOOLEAN = 0;
     public static final int TC_BYTE = 1;
     public static final int TC_CHAR = 2;
@@ -111,38 +71,114 @@ public class Type {
     private static final Hashtable methodHash = new Hashtable();    
 ///#endif
 
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the boolean type.
+     */
     public static final Type tBoolean = new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_Z);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the byte type.
+     */
     public static final Type tByte    = new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_B);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the char type.
+     */
     public static final Type tChar    = new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_C);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the short type.
+     */
     public static final Type tShort   = new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_S);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the int type.
+     */
     public static final Type tInt     = new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_I);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the long type.
+     */
     public static final Type tLong    = new Type(TC_LONG);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the float type.
+     */
     public static final Type tFloat   = new Type(TC_FLOAT);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the double type.
+     */
     public static final Type tDouble  = new Type(TC_DOUBLE);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the void type.  It is really not a type at
+     * all.  
+     */
     public static final Type tVoid    = new Type(TC_VOID);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the empty set, and probably means, that something
+     * has gone wrong.
+     */
     public static final Type tError   = new Type(TC_ERROR);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the set of all possible types.
+     */
     public static final Type tUnknown = new Type(TC_UNKNOWN);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the set of all integer types, up to 32 bit.
+     */
     public static final Type tUInt    = new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_I
 							| IntegerType.IT_B
 							| IntegerType.IT_C
 							| IntegerType.IT_S);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the set of the boolean and int type.
+     */
     public static final Type tBoolInt = new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_I
 							| IntegerType.IT_Z);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the set of boolean and all integer types,
+     * up to 32 bit.  
+     */
     public static final Type tBoolUInt= new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_I
 							| IntegerType.IT_B
 							| IntegerType.IT_C
 							| IntegerType.IT_S
 							| IntegerType.IT_Z);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the set of the boolean and byte type.
+     */
     public static final Type tBoolByte= new IntegerType(IntegerType.IT_B
 							| IntegerType.IT_Z);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing 
+     * <code>java.lang.Object</code>.
+     */
     public static final ClassInterfacesType tObject = 
 	tClass("java.lang.Object");
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing the special 
+     * null type (the type of null).
+     */
     public static final ReferenceType tNull = new NullType();
+    /**
+     * This type represents the set of all reference types, including
+     * class types, array types, interface types and the null type.  
+     */
     public static final Type tUObject = tRange(tObject, tNull);
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing 
+     * <code>java.lang.String</code>.
+     */
     public static final Type tString  = tClass("java.lang.String");
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing 
+     * <code>java.lang.StringBuffer</code>.
+     */
     public static final Type tStringBuffer = tClass("java.lang.StringBuffer");
+    /**
+     * This type represents the singleton set containing 
+     * <code>java.lang.Class</code>.
+     */
     public static final Type tJavaLangClass = tClass("java.lang.Class");
 
+    /**
+     * This is a private method for generating the signature of a
+     * given type.  
+     */
     private static final StringBuffer appendSignature(StringBuffer sb,
 						      Class javaType) {
 	if (javaType.isPrimitive()) {
@@ -175,10 +211,24 @@ public class Type {
 	}
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate the signature for the given Class.
+     * @param clazz a java.lang.Class, this may also be a primitive or
+     * array type.
+     * @return the type signature (see section 4.3.2 Field Descriptors
+     * of the JVM specification)
+     */
     public static String getSignature(Class clazz) {
 	return appendSignature(new StringBuffer(), clazz).toString();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate a method signature.
+     * @param paramT the java.lang.Class of the parameter types of the method.
+     * @param returnT the java.lang.Class of the return type of the method.
+     * @return the method signature (see section 4.3.3 Method Descriptors
+     * of the JVM specification)
+     */
     public static String getSignature(Class paramT[], Class returnT) {
 	StringBuffer sig = new StringBuffer("(");
 	for (int i=0; i< paramT.length; i++)
@@ -186,6 +236,12 @@ public class Type {
 	return appendSignature(sig.append(')'), returnT).toString();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate the singleton set of the type represented by the given
+     * string.
+     * @param type the type signature (or method signature).  
+     * @return a singleton set containing the given type.
+     */
     public static final Type tType(String type) {
         if (type == null || type.length() == 0)
             return tError;
@@ -221,14 +277,33 @@ public class Type {
         throw new AssertError("Unknown type signature: "+type);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate the singleton set of the type represented by the given
+     * class.
+     * @param javaType the type class.
+     * @return a singleton set containing the given type.
+     */
     public static final Type tType(Class javaType) {
 	return Type.tType(getSignature(javaType));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate the singleton set of the type represented by the given
+     * class name.
+     * @param clazzname the full qualified name of the class. 
+     * The packages may be separated by `.' or `/'.
+     * @return a singleton set containing the given type.
+     */
     public static final ClassInterfacesType tClass(String clazzname) {
 	return tClass(ClassInfo.forName(clazzname.replace('/','.')));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate the singleton set of the type represented by the given
+     * class info.
+     * @param clazzinfo the jode.bytecode.ClassInfo.
+     * @return a singleton set containing the given type.
+     */
     public static final ClassInterfacesType tClass(ClassInfo clazzinfo) {
 ///#ifdef JDK12
 ///	java.lang.ref.Reference died;
@@ -250,6 +325,12 @@ public class Type {
         return (ClassInterfacesType) result;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate/look up the set of the array type whose element types
+     * are in the given type set.
+     * @param type the element types (which may be the empty set tError).
+     * @return the set of array types (which may be the empty set tError).
+     */
     public static final Type tArray(Type type) {
         if (type == tError) 
             return type;
@@ -273,6 +354,11 @@ public class Type {
         return result;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate/look up the method type for the given signature 
+     * @param signature the method decriptor.
+     * @return a method type (a singleton set).
+     */
     public static MethodType tMethod(String signature) {
 ///#ifdef JDK12
 ///	java.lang.ref.Reference died;
@@ -293,23 +379,69 @@ public class Type {
         }
         return result;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Generate/look up the method type for the given class 
+     * @param paramT the parameter types of the method.
+     * @param returnT the return type of the method.
+     * @return a method type (a singleton set).
+     */
     public static MethodType tMethod(Class paramT[], Class returnT) {
 	return tMethod(getSignature(paramT, returnT));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate the range type from bottom to top.  This should
+     * represent all reference types, that can be casted to bottom by
+     * a widening cast and where top can be casted to.  You should not
+     * use this method directly; use tSubType, tSuperType and
+     * intersection instead, which is more general.
+     * @param bottom the bottom type.
+     * @param top the top type.  
+     * @return the range type.
+     */
     public static final Type tRange(ReferenceType bottom, 
 				    ReferenceType top) {
         return new RangeType(bottom, top);
     }
-
+     
+    /**
+     * Generate the set of types, to which one of the types in type can
+     * be casted to by a widening cast.  The following holds:
+     * <ul><li>tSuperType(tObject) = tObject </li>
+     * <li>tSuperType(tError) = tError </li>
+     * <li>type.intersection(tSuperType(type)).equals(type)
+     *  (this means type is a subset of tSuperType(type).</li>
+     * <li>tSuperType(tNull) = tUObject</li>
+     * <li>tSuperType(tChar) = {tChar, tInt } </li></ul>
+     * @param type a set of types.
+     * @return the super types of type.
+     */
     public static Type tSuperType(Type type) {
-        return type.getSuperType();
+	return type.getSuperType();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generate the set of types, which can be casted to one of the
+     * types in type by a widening cast.  The following holds:
+     * <ul><li>tSubType(tObject) = tUObject </li>
+     * <li>tSubType(tError) = tError </li>
+     * <li>type.intersection(tSubType(type)).equals(type)
+     *  (this means type is a subset of tSubType(type).</li>
+     * <li>tSuperType(tSubType(type)) is a subset of type </li>
+     * <li>tSubType(tSuperType(type)) is a subset of type </li>
+     * <li>tSubType(tNull) = tNull</li>
+     * <li>tSubType(tBoolean, tShort) = { tBoolean, tByte, tShort }</li></ul>
+     * @param type a set of types.
+     * @return the sub types of type.  
+     */
     public static Type tSubType(Type type) {
         return type.getSubType();
     }
-	
+
+    /**
+     * The typecode of this type. This should be one of the TC_ constants.
+     */
     final int typecode;
 
     /**
@@ -319,33 +451,59 @@ public class Type {
         typecode = tc;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The sub types of this type.
+     * @return tSubType(this).
+     */
     public Type getSubType() {
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The super types of this type.
+     * @return tSuperType(this).
+     */
     public Type getSuperType() {
         return this;
     }
 
-//      public Type getBottom() {
+    /**
-//          return this;
+     * Returns the hint type of this type set.  This returns the singleton
-//      }
+     * set containing only the `most likely' type in this set.  This doesn't
-
+     * work for <code>tError</code> or <code>tUnknown</code>, and may lead
-//      public Type getTop() {
+     * to errors for certain range types.
-//          return this;
+     * @return the hint type.
-//      }
+     */
-
     public Type getHint() {
+	return getCanonic();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the canonic type of this type set.  The intention is, to 
+     * return for each expression the type, that the java compiler would
+     * assign to this expression.
+     * @return the canonic type.
+     */
+    public Type getCanonic() {
 	return this;
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return the type code of the type.
+     * Returns the type code of this type.  Don't use this; it is
+     * merily needed by the sub types (and the bytecode verifier, which
+     * has its own type merging methods).
+     * @return the type code of the type.  
      */
     public final int getTypeCode() {
         return typecode;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of stack/local entries an object of this type
+     * occupies.
+     * @return 0 for tVoid, 2 for tDouble and tLong and 
+     * 1 for every other type.
+     */
     public int stackSize()
     {
         switch(typecode) {
@@ -361,9 +519,10 @@ public class Type {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Intersect this type with another type and return the new type.
+     * Intersect this set of types with another type set and return the
-     * @param type the other type.
+     * intersection.
-     * @return the intersection, or tError, if a type conflict happens.
+     * @param type the other type set.
+     * @return the intersection, tError, if the intersection is empty.
      */
     public Type intersection(Type type) {
 	if (this == tError || type == tError)
@@ -372,6 +531,8 @@ public class Type {
 	    return type;
 	if (type == tUnknown || this == type)
 	    return this;
+	/* We have two different singleton sets now.
+	 */
 	if ((GlobalOptions.debuggingFlags & GlobalOptions.DEBUG_TYPES) != 0)
 	    GlobalOptions.err.println("intersecting "+ this +" and "+ type
 				   + " to <error>");
@@ -380,7 +541,9 @@ public class Type {
 
     /**
      * Checks if we need to cast to a middle type, before we can cast from
-     * fromType to this type.
+     * fromType to this type.  For example it is impossible to cast a 
+     * String to a StringBuffer, but if we cast to Object in between this
+     * is allowed (it doesn't make much sense though).
      * @return the middle type, or null if it is not necessary.
      */
     public Type getCastHelper(Type fromType) {
@@ -388,29 +551,35 @@ public class Type {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Checks if this type represents a valid type instead of a list
+     * Checks if this type represents a valid singleton type.
-     * of minimum types.
      */
     public boolean isValidType() {
 	return typecode <= TC_DOUBLE;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Checks if this type represents a class or an array of a class
+     * Checks if this is a class or array type (but not a null type).
+     * @XXX remove this?
+     * @return true if this is a class or array type.
      */
     public boolean isClassType() {
         return false;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Check if this and &lt;unknown -- type&rt; are not disjunct.
+     * Check if this type set and the other type set are not disjunct.
-     * @param type  a simple type; this mustn't be a range type.
+     * @param type the other type set.
-     * @return true if this is the case.
+     * @return true if this they aren't disjunct.
      */
     public boolean isOfType(Type type) {
 	return this.intersection(type) != Type.tError;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generates the default name, that is the `natural' choice for
+     * local of this type.
+     * @return the default name of a local of this type.  
+     */
     public String getDefaultName() {
         switch (typecode) {
         case TC_LONG:
@@ -424,6 +593,11 @@ public class Type {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Generates the default value, that is the initial value of a field
+     * of this type.
+     * @return the default value of a field of this type.  
+     */
     public Object getDefaultValue() {
         switch (typecode) {
         case TC_LONG:
@@ -437,6 +611,11 @@ public class Type {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the type signature of this type.  You should only call
+     * this on singleton types.
+     * @return the type (or method) signature of this type.
+     */
     public String getTypeSignature() {
         switch (typecode) {
         case TC_LONG:
@@ -450,6 +629,11 @@ public class Type {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the java.lang.Class representing this type.  You should
+     * only call this on singleton types.  
+     * @return the Class object representing this type.
+     */
     public Class getTypeClass() throws ClassNotFoundException {
         switch (typecode) {
         case TC_LONG:
@@ -463,6 +647,10 @@ public class Type {
         }
     }
     
+    /**
+     * Returns a string representation describing this type set.
+     * @return a string representation describing this type set.
+     */
     public String toString() {
         switch (typecode) {
         case TC_LONG: