Names - The Java Language Specification - page 142

♦ Otherwise, if the Identifier is the name of a member type (§ 8.5 , § 9.5 ) of the
type denoted by T , then this AmbiguousName is reclassified as a TypeName .
♦ Otherwise, a compile-time error occurs.
Example 6.5.2-1. Reclassification of Contextually Ambiguous Names
Consider the following contrived “library code”:
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package org.rpgpoet;
import java.util.Random;
public interface Music { Random[] wizards = new Random[4]; }
and then consider this example code in another package:
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package bazola;
class Gabriel {
static int n = org.rpgpoet.Music.wizards.length;
}
First of all, the name org.rpgpoet.Music.wizards.length is classified as an ExpressionName
because it functions as a PostfixExpression . Therefore, each of the names:
org.rpgpoet.Music.wizards
org.rpgpoet.Music
org.rpgpoet
org
is initially classified as an AmbiguousName . These are then reclassified:
• The simple name org is reclassified as a PackageName (since there is no
variable or type named org in scope).
• Next, assuming that there is no class or interface named rpgpoet in any com-
pilation unit of package org (and we know that there is no such class or inter-
face because package org has a subpackage named rpgpoet ), the qualified
name org.rpgpoet is reclassified as a PackageName .
• Next, because package org.rpgpoet has an accessible (§ 6.6 ) interface type
named Music , the qualified name org.rpgpoet.Music is reclassified as a
TypeName .
• Finally, because the name org.rpgpoet.Music is a TypeName , the qualified name
org.rpgpoet.Music.wizards is reclassified as an ExpressionName .