eclipse-xtext / eclipse-xtext/xtext

Better code generation for toString() on primitives

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confirmed
Dominant language
Java
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

When using .toString() on a primitive Xtend generates BoxedPrimitive.valueOf(a).toString() instead of BoxedPrimitive.toString(a).

For example, the following Xtend:

private def void doThing() {
	val int a = 0;
	val String b = a.toString
}

Generates the following Java:

private void doThing() {
	final int a = 0;
	final String b = Integer.valueOf(a).toString(); // Should use Integer.toString(a)
}

This allocates a boxed primitive while a static function is available exactly for this purpose.

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First steps

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  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by locating the Xtend code-generation entry point for primitive .toString() calls and reproduce the issue with the example in this report. Done means the generated Java uses the primitive wrapper's static toString(a) method instead of boxing through valueOf(a).toString().

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
java
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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