[GROOVY-5359] static propertyMissing catches inherited static methods

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Open
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Unresolved
• Component/s: groovy-runtime
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: OC
• Created: 11/Mar/12 21:56
• Updated: 17/Dec/13 16:18

Description

When static missing properties are catched, the handler is called also when an inherited static method is called.

It is not a serious problem, but it feels weird. Either it should be changed (if possible with reasonably small effort), or thoroughly documented.

Also, it should be documented that if the handler throws a MissingPropertyException, it gets silently eaten up and the static method is called all right. On the other hand, any other exception goes all the way up to the user-level harness if any, which is generally rather undesirable.

Here's a code sample which illustrates the problem, along with the proper exception thrown so as the method is properly called:

class Foo {
 static def inheritedStaticMethod() {
   println "Allright, Kilroy's here"
 }
}

class Test extends Foo {
  static def main(av) {
    // need to catch all class-level missing properties
    Object.metaClass.static.propertyMissing={
      println "Property $it of ${delegate.simpleName} missing."
      // simulated 'found valid dynamic property' case
      if (it.startsWith('f')) return "(${delegate.simpleName}.$it OK)"
      // oops, we did not find valid d.p, so we 
      throw new MissingPropertyException("No valid DP for ${delegate.simpleName}.$it")
    }
    println "Checking the handler: ${Object.foo} ${Foo.foo} ${Test.foo} ${String.foo}"
    inheritedStaticMethod()
  }
}