| The Signature Attribute introduced in JSR-14 (Adding Generics to the
Java Programming Language) and also defined in the Java Virtual Machine
Specification, 3rd edition draft. This atribute is used for classes,
fields and methods.
Classfiles need to carry generic type information in a backwards
compatible way. This is accomplished by introducing a new "Signature"
attribute for classes, methods and fields. The structure of this
attribute is as follows:
"Signature" (u4 attr-length, u2 signature-index)
When used as an attribute of a method or field, a signature gives the
full (possibly generic) type of that method or field.
When used as a class attribute, a signature indicates the type
parameters of the class, followed by its supertype, followed by
all its interfaces.
The type syntax in signatures is extended to parameterized types and
type variables. There is also a new signature syntax for formal type
parameters. The syntax extensions for signature strings are as follows:
MethodOrFieldSignature ::= TypeSignature
ClassSignature ::= ParameterPartOpt super_TypeSignature interface_TypeSignatures
TypeSignatures ::= TypeSignatures TypeSignature
|
TypeSignature ::= ...
| ClassTypeSignature
| MethodTypeSignature
| TypeVariableSignature
ClassTypeSignature ::= 'L' Ident TypeArgumentsOpt ';'
| ClassTypeSignature '.' Ident ';' TypeArgumentsOpt
MethodTypeSignature ::= TypeArgumentsOpt '(' TypeSignatures ')'
TypeSignature ThrowsSignatureListOpt
ThrowsSignatureList ::= ThrowsSignature ThrowsSignatureList
| ThrowsSignature
ThrowsSignature ::= '^' TypeSignature
TypeVariableSignature ::= 'T' Ident ';'
TypeArguments ::= '<' TypeSignature TypeSignatures '>'
ParameterPart ::= '<' ParameterSignature ParameterSignatures '>'
ParameterSignatures ::= ParameterSignatures ParameterSignature
|
ParameterSignature ::= Ident ':' bound_TypeSignature
|
