The Java Language Specification, Third Edition

EXPRESSIONS Choosing the Constructor and its Arguments 15.9.3
• If S is a local class (§14.3), then let O be the innermost lexically enclosing
class of S. Let n be an integer such that O is the nth lexically enclosing class
of the class in which the class instance creation expression appears. Then:
◆ If S occurs within a static context, then i has no immediately enclosing
instance with respect to S.
◆ Otherwise, if the class instance creation expression occurs in a static context,
then a compile-time error occurs.
◆ Otherwise, the immediately enclosing instance of i with respect to S is the
nth lexically enclosing instance of this.
• Otherwise, S is an inner member class (§8.5).
◆ If the class instance creation expression is an unqualified class instance creation
expression, then:
❖ If the class instance creation expression occurs in a static context, then a
compile-time error occurs.
❖ Otherwise, if S is a member of an enclosing class then let O be the innermost
lexically enclosing class of which S is a member, and let n be an
integer such that O is the nth lexically enclosing class of the class in which
the class instance creation expression appears. The immediately enclosing
instance of i with respect to S is the nth lexically enclosing instance of
this.
❖ Otherwise, a compile-time error occurs.
◆ Otherwise, the class instance creation expression is a qualified class
instance creation expression. The immediately enclosing instance of i with
respect to S is the object that is the value of the Primary expression.
DRAFT
15.9.3 Choosing the Constructor and its Arguments
Let C be the class type being instantiated. To create an instance of C, i, a constructor
of C is chosen at compile-time by the following rules:
• First, the actual arguments to the constructor invocation are determined.
◆ If C is an anonymous class, and the direct superclass of C, S, is an inner
class, then:
❖ If the S is a local class and S occurs in a static context, then the arguments
in the argument list, if any, are the arguments to the constructor, in the
order they appear in the expression.
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