JDK-8173097 : Type inference problem (ambiguous method reference) with lambdas and generics.
  • Type: Bug
  • Component: tools
  • Sub-Component: javac
  • Affected Version: 8,9
  • Priority: P4
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Duplicate
  • OS: generic
  • CPU: generic
  • Submitted: 2017-01-19
  • Updated: 2017-01-20
  • Resolved: 2017-01-20
Related Reports
Duplicate :  
Description
FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
java version "1.8.0_121"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_121-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.121-b13, mixed mode)

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Linux 4.8.15-1-MANJARO #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Dec 15 22:22:45 UTC 2016 x86_64 GNU/Linux

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
A method is called by passing a lambda expression as single argument. That method is overloaded. The first method takes a java.util.function.Supplier<?> as single argument, the second one expects <T extends java.lang.Number>.

The compiler fails saying that also the second method matches the method reference.

Interestingly, the code does compile when changing <T extends java.lang.Number> to java.lang.Number.

This is probably related to the problem already reported in JDK-8164611, but I wasn't sure if it's exactly the same issue.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
Try to compile the code via "javac AmbiguousReferenceTest.java".

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
I'd expected the code to compile and print "success" when run via "java AmbiguousReferenceTest".
ACTUAL -
The code didn't compile (ambiguous reference).

It does compile on Eclipse though and the test prints "success" (as expected).

Eclipse IDE for Java Developers
Version: Neon.2 Release (4.6.2)
Build id: 20161208-0600

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
AmbiguousReferenceTest.java:5: error: reference to test is ambiguous
                test(() -> true);
                ^
  both method test(Supplier<Boolean>) in AmbiguousReferenceTest and method <T>test(T) in AmbiguousReferenceTest match
  where T is a type-variable:
    T extends Number declared in method <T>test(T)
1 error

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
public class AmbiguousReferenceTest {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		test((java.util.function.Supplier<?>) (() -> true));
		test(() -> true);
		System.out.println("success");
	}

	static void test(java.util.function.Supplier<?> obj) {
		// fine
	}

	// with this method the class compiles
//	static void test(java.lang.Number obj) {
//		throw new AssertionError("shouldn't be called");
//	}

	// with this method the class doesn't compile
	static <T extends java.lang.Number> void test(T obj) {
		throw new AssertionError("shouldn't be called");
	}
}
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Workaround 1: don't use generics in the second method (i.e. the one that shouldn't be called). See commented out lines 14-16.
Workaround 2: cast the argument when calling the method. See line 4.


Comments
Duplicate of JDK-8164611. Eclipse looks at the type-var bound to perform extra potential compatibility checks.
20-01-2017

This issue is more related to JDK-8057895 and the reason for marking as not a bug still holds good. Below are the observations. The attached code compiles fine on Eclipse 8uxx - Fail (Including 8u121) 9 ea b152 - Fail
20-01-2017