Description Kathy Haines 2007-01-03 15:49:16 EST

Build ID: M20060921-0945

Steps To Reproduce:
1. Create a public class. Example, a file called "MyClass.java" with a class declaration:
public class MyClass { }
2. In this same file, create a public interface or a public abstract class. This definition must use the word "public" to reproduce the error. For example:

public interface MyInterface { }

or 

public abstract class MyAbstract { }
3. You should get an error for the abstract class/interface you created in step two such as "The public type MyAbstract must be defined in its own file." 


More information:
Despite the error that Eclipse gives you, the compiler takes this code. And even when you use these classes - not just define them - it takes the code. 

It appears the correct rule is, a class (such as "MyClass.java") can have only one CONCRETE public class, but it can have zero to many public interfaces and/or zero to many public abstract classes in the same file. These public abstract classes and interfaces do not have to match the name of the file.

Along these lines, I did not test what happens when these zero to many public interfaces and abstract classes are the solely defined classes within one file. That is to say, if a public interface or a public abstract class is the only class defined within a file, does its class name have to match the file name? I'm not sure what the rules are for this scenario.

Lastly, I also found, even though the following declarations have the same meaning to the compiler, Eclipse only seems to have a problem when the keyword "public" is present:

public abstract inteface MyInterface { } * error
public interface MyInterface { }         * error
interface MyInterface { }                * no error
abstract interface MyInterface { }       * no error