Re: arrays and cloning, where is it described?

From:

Lew <lew@lewscanon.com>

Newsgroups:

comp.lang.java.programmer

Date:

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:08:21 -0500

Message-ID:

<gbidnb3gDvAYCE3anZ2dnUVZ_oninZ2d@comcast.com>

Patricia Shanahan wrote:

Mike Schilling wrote:
....

Yes, I know that the superclass is Object *now*, but I don't know
whether this is guaranteed.

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/arrays.html#10.8

/op. cit./, /supra/.

"The direct superclass of an array type is Object."

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/java/lang/Class.html#getSuperclass()

"If this object represents an array class then the Class object
representing the Object class is returned."

If we keep repeating the information enough, eventually it will get through.
It certainly is mentioned in enough places in the JLS:

<http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/typesValues.html#4.10.3>

4.10.3 Subtyping among Array Types
The following rules define the direct subtype relation among array types:

    * If S and T are both reference types, then S[] >1 T[] iff S >1 T.
    * Object >1 Object[]
    * Cloneable >1 Object[]
    * java.io.Serializable >1 Object[]
    * If p is a primitive type, then:
          o Object >1 p[]
          o Cloneable >1 p[]
          o java.io.Serializable >1 p[]

/op. cit./, /supra/.

--
Lew