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There are currently 5 nodes in the public java ast which stand for different forms of "invocations": ClassInstanceCreation, ConstructorInvocation, MethodInvocation, SuperConstructorInvocation, and SuperMethodInvocation. What they have in common is a query 'List arguments()', which returns a list of argument Expressions. Our refactoring code sometimes doesn't care about the exact invocation form. In that case, I'd like better static typing with a possibilty to declare a variable of e.g. type IInvocation, where IInvocation is a new interface with a query 'List arguments()'. Currently, I have to use ASTNode and downcast every time. The interface could also declare resolveMethodBinding() (the constructors would then need a delegate to resolveConstructorBinding()).
Could you not just pass around the List<Expression> arguments() itself?
Yes, I can pass around the arguments List and the MethodBinding along with the ASTNode, but I thought client code would become cleaner when it could just use a single IInvocationNode instead. However, I see that such "view" interfaces could be asked for many subsets of ASTNodes. They would have to be added everywhere or nowhere, but not just for this single case. As a client, I would like to have them, but if you think it would hamper future ast api evolution, I can also live without.
The main issue here is whether the benefits to clients of adding the interface outweigh the costs (extra interfaces in the API make it harder for clients to see what's important). I would prefer to hold off adding extra API types unless there is a bigger payoff. Please reopen PR if you feel this would be a big win.
i too think that this is important. what i have to pass around now is ASTNode which is just bad. this is a more general issue with the AST API. see various jdt ui's workarounds in ASTNodes: isLiteral, isLabel, isStatic (no interface that had 'getModifiers') for the invocations problem see that Invocations class: it has methods like isInvocation, getArguments, resolveMinding other clients do the same, probably
