6829189: Java programming with JSR 292 needs language support
6754038: writing libraries in Java for non-Java languages requires method handle invocation
Summary: javac recognizes implicit methods assigned by JVM to MethodHandle and InvokeDynamic

javac needs to support library development for non-Java langauges

Language changes are documented in http://wikis.sun.com/display/mlvm/ProjectCoinProposal

http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=6754038

Features:
- the method java.dyn.MethodHandle.<T>invoke(AAA)T exists, even if not explicitly found
- the static method java.dyn.InvokeDynamic.<T>zzz(AAA)T always exists, even if not explicitly found
- the return type parameter <T> may be a primitive type or void
- the return type parameter <T> may be omitted and defaults to Object
- the signature of the implicit method is obtained by erasing actual argument types
- null arguments are treated as of type java.lang.Void (which can only be a null reference)
- no implicit conversions are performed on these calls; use a cast if you want conversion

Discussion:
See, for example, April-May 2009 discussions like the following:
  http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/coin-dev/2009-April/001617.html
  http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/coin-dev/2009-April/001418.html

Examples from the unit test:
    void test(MethodHandle mh) {
        mh.invoke("world", 123);
        // previous line generates invokevirtual MethodHandle.invoke(String,int)Object
        InvokeDynamic.greet("hello", "world", 123);
        // previous line generates invokedynamic greet(Object,String,int)Object
    }

Note that actual argument types can be overridden by casts, as in:
  mh.invoke((Object)"foo", (Integer)123)
  // previous line generates invokevirtual MethodHandle.invoke(Object,Integer)Object

The return type defaults to Object, unless specified by a type argument.

The syntax for return type specification is:
  mh.<R>invoke(aaa)  // generates signature (AAA)R
  mh.<String>invoke("foo", 123)  // signature is (String,int)String
  mh.<void>invoke("foo", 123)  // signature is (String,int)void

The syntax for the receiverless formulation of invokedynamic is:
  InvokeDynamic.<R>zzz(obj,aaa)  // generates signature (Object,AAA)R
  InvokeDynamic.zzz(AAA)  // return type is Object by default
  InvokeDynamic.greet((Object)"hello", "world", 123)
  // previous line generates invokedynamic greet(Object,String,int)Object
  InvokeDynamic.<void>greet("hello", "world", 123)
  // previous line generates invokedynamic greet(Object,String,int)void
  // or (in a later JVM version) invokedynamic greet(String,String,int)void

Notes & Status:
- The syntax for invokedynamic is receiverless; the signature describes all stacked args.
- The instruction uses a new code point (186) and takes a NameAndType reference, plus two zero bytes.
- The flag -XDinvokedynamic also enables the new instruction, without otherwise changing the target.

Authors:
- John Rose (Sun)

Tests:
- unit tests test/tools/javac/meth/*

Incremental testing:

---- Using the Command Line ----

This does not require a full JDK build.

$ cd .../langtools
$ hg qpush meth.patch
$ (cd make; make)

$ mkdir ./dist/cp1
$ ./dist/bin/javac -d dist/cp1 -target 7 test/tools/javac/meth/Invoke{Dyn,MH}.java
$ ./dist/bin/javap -c -classpath dist/cp1 meth.Invoke{Dyn,MH}  # observe call sites

(Note:  Your $PATH may need to include a $JAVA_HOME for Java 6.)

---- Using NetBeans ----

(Assuming a link farm folder at ~/env/.)
$ ln -s <some copy of jtreg> ~/env/JTREG_HOME
$ ln -s <some java6 JRE> ~/env/JAVA6_HOME
$ ln -s <some java6 JRE> ~/env/TARGET_JAVA_HOME
$ ln -s <langtools dir> ~/env/LANGTOOLS

Also, make sure your NetBeans is running Java 6 not Java 5.
$ mkdir ~/.HOME/.netbeans/6.5/etc
$ echo >> ~/.HOME/.netbeans/6.5/etc/netbeans.conf \
    "netbeans_jdkhome = $HOME/env/JAVA6_HOME

Configure the OpenJDK build file properties:
$ echo >> ~/.openjdk/build.properties    boot.java.home = ~/env/JAVA_HOME
$ echo >> ~/.openjdk/build.properties    target.java.home = /Users/jrose/env/TARGET_JAVA_HOME
$ echo >> ~/.openjdk/build.properties    jtreg.home = /Users/jrose/env/JTREG_HOME
$ mkdir ~/env/LANGTOOLS/dist/cp0

Right-click on the "langtools" project in NetBeans Project window, get 'select-tool'.
Actually, the resulting config file changes like this:
$ echo >> ~/env/LANGTOOLS/make/netbeans/langtools/nbproject/private/langtools.properties \
    javac.args = -d ~/env/LANGTOOLS/dist/cp0 -XDinvokedynamic ~/env/LANGTOOLS/test/tools/javac/meth/InvokeDyn.java