[Checkers] Java Posse #190 - Type Annotations in Java

[Mahmood Ali]

Greetings,

First, I would like to thank you for organizing Java Posse podcasts.   
I have started listening to them recently and have found some of them  
very informative.  Thanks.

I just listened to Java Posse #190 'Interview with Bill Pugh and Brian  
Goetz' which was recorded at JavaOne conference and discussed type  
annotations in Java (JSR 308).  The interview discussed the upcoming  
annotations and their applications well.

I was hoping that would link to our work with JSR 308: http://pag.csail.mit.edu/jsr308/ 
  .  The site includes a type annotation compiler and the Checker  
Framework.  The checker framework includes some sample checkers (e.g.  
for checking nullness and immutability) that can find and prevent bugs.

Also, an interviewer desired an annotation in Java similar to C's  
const.  The Checker Distribution includes a checker for IGJ language,  
which enforces object immutability (object never gets mutated), with  
the annotation @Immutable.  This is opposed to the annotation  
@ReadOnly for reference immutability (the reference may not be used to  
mutate the object, but another alias reference may).  http://groups.csail.mit.edu/pag/jsr308/current/checkers-manual.html#igj 
  describes the language.

Please feel free to contact us regarding the JSR 308 proposal or the  
distributed checkers.

Regards,
Mahmood