Name: bsC130419			Date: 08/08/2001


java version "1.3.1"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.3.1-b24)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.3.1-b24, mixed mode)


While current Java syntax allows access to the outer containing object of the
'this' object of a non-static inner class type (e.g., 'Outer.this'), there is no
syntax for accessing the outer object of an inner object other than 'this'.

For example:

    class Outer                 // Outer class
    {
        int compare(Outer o)
        {...}

        class Inner             // Non-static inner class
        {
            int compare(Inner i)
            {
                // Compare the outer objects of 'this' and 'i'
                return Outer.compare(Outer.this, i.???);        // [A]
            }
        }
    }

With the present language syntax, I am forced to use a helper method in the
inner class:

        class Inner
        {
            Outer thisOuter(Inner)
            {
                return this.Outer;        // [B]
            }
            ...
        }

This hack allows me to write the method of the inner class that needs to access
the outer object of a non-this object:

            int compare(Inner i)
            {
                // Compare the outer objects of 'this' and 'i'
                return Outer.compare(Outer.this, i.thisOuter());   // [C]
            }

But the overhead of a helper function should not be necessary.  I feel that the
Java language syntax should be extended to allow expressions of the form:

    object.Classname.this

(or something like it) which retrieves the outer class object (of type
'Classname') of object 'object', which is of some non-static inner class type.
This syntax is very close in spirit to the existing syntax:

    Classname.this

--
(Review ID: 129580) 
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