(RFE) Intoduce a new keyword Self

Question

The Self keyword represent the type of the current Class.
Example :
class A {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(Self.class); // print A
Note that It's not equivalent to this.getClass().
The Self keyword permit to resolve two problems :
1) methods of class from API create before 1.5 that return an Object like clone()
in Date couldn't return a Date (or the current class) because it could exist
a class that inherits from Date a redefine clone().
Usage as a type :
- Self could not be used as a parameter type.
- Seft could be used as a return type.
Rules during overriding test :
- Self is a subtype of Self
- Self is equals to the greater supertypes in the class hierachy that
defined the method.
class Object {
Self clone() {...}
class Date extends Object {
Self clone() {....} // ok, Self is a subtype of Self
class MyLegacyDate extends Date {
Object clone() {...} // ok, Self is equals to Object
2) there is no way to get the current class object (Class), to initialize a logger
by example. I propose the notation "Self.class".
R�mi Forax

Answer 1

I choose the option 3:
the code : > Bar bar=bar.getRubbed(); won't compile because getRubbed() return a Foo. (a Self from Foo) .What about
<T extends Bar> void rub(T t) {
    Bar b = t.getRubbed()
Maybe Bar should be declared abstract because it does not implement Bar getRubbed() ...
About the clone() method, it should be noted that (according to the JavaDocs) it not an absolute requirement that
o.getClass() == o.clone().getClass().
Therefor, using Self as the return type of clone() would not be appropriate.