Question

Most Java code is also syntactically valid Groovy code. However, there are a few exceptions which leads me to my question:

Which constructs/features in Java are syntactically invalid in Groovy? Please provide concrete examples of Java code (Java 1.6) that is NOT valid Groovy code (Groovy 1.6).

Update:

So far we’ve got five examples of syntactically valid Java code that is not valid Groovy code:

1. Array initializations
2. Inner classes
3. def is a keyword in Groovy, but not in Java
4. '$$'-strings – parsed as an invalid GStrings in Groovy
5. Non-static initialization blocks -- class Foo { Integer x; { x = 1; } }

Is this the complete list? Any further examples?

Update #1: I’ve started a bounty to bump this question. The bounty will be granted to the person who provides the most comprehensive list of examples. So far we’ve uncovered five examples, but I’m sure there a quite some more out there. So keep them coming!

Answer 1

Here is a list of items that are valid Java 6, but not valid Groovy 1.6. This isn’t a complete list, but I think it covers most of the cases. Some of these are permitted by later Groovy versions as noted below.

(By the way, I think you should note that non-static initialization blocks DO work in Groovy.)

Any inner class declaration in Groovy 1.6 (1.7 added inner classes):

including static,

public class Outer{   static class Inner{} } 

non-static,

public class Outer{   class Inner{} } 

local classes,

public class Outer{   public static void main(String[] args) {     class Local{}     } } 

and anonymous classes

java.util.EventListener listener=new java.util.EventListener(){}; 

Using Groovy keywords as variables won’t work in any Groovy version:

int def; int in; int threadsafe; int as; 

Java array initialization

String[] stuff=new String[]{'string'}; int[] array={1,2,3}; 

Use the Groovy array-literal format by changing {...} to [...].

Using dollar signs in strings where what follows isn’t a valid expression

String s='$$'; String s='$def'; String s='$enum'; String s='$;'; String s='$\\'; //etc. 

More than one initializer in a for loop

for (int i=0, j=0; i < 5; i++) {} 

More than one increment in a for loop

int j=0; for (int i=0; i < 5; i++,j++) {} 

Breaking up some expressions using newlines

int a= 2  / 2  ; 

Hint: use a backslash line-continuation in Groovy

int a= 2 \ / 2 \ ; 

Ending switch with a case that has no body

switch(a){   case 1: } 

Having a default in a switch with no body

Applies in both cases where default is at the end

int a=0; switch(a){     default: } 

or somewhere in the middle

switch(a){     default:     case 1:         break; } 

Annotations with lists

@SuppressWarnings({'boxing','cast'}) 

Hint: use Groovy list-literal syntax instead:

@SuppressWarnings(['boxing','cast']) 

Native method declaration

public native int nativeMethod(); 

**Class per enum in 1.6 (valid in later Groovy versions) **

public enum JavaEnum{   ADD{     public String getSymbol(){ return '+'; }   };   abstract String getSymbol(); } 

Do loop

do{   System.out.println('stuff'); }while(true); 

Equality

While technically == is valid Groovy and Java, it’s semantically different. It’s one of the reasons you can’t rely on just compiling Java as Groovy without changes. Worse, it might seem to work sometimes due to Java string interning.

The example was too long to add to an existing answer, but the point is that Java code that’s syntatically valid as Groovy might behave differently at runtime.

To get the same result as Java’s x == y for two not-null objects you need x.is(y) in Groovy. x == y is valid Groovy, it just does something different.

The Groovy documentation has a more detailed and broader list of differences.