BLOCKS AND STATEMENTS
Unreachable Statements
14.19
The rationale for this differing treatment is to allow programmers to define
 flag variables  such as:
static final boolean DEBUG = false;
and then write code such as:
if (DEBUG) { x=3; }
The idea is that it should be possible to change the value of
DEBUG
 from
false
 to
true
 or from
true
 to
false
 and then compile the code correctly with no other
changes to the program text.
This ability to  conditionally compile  has a significant impact on, and rela 
tionship to, binary compatibility ( 13). If a set of classes that use such a  flag 
variable are compiled and conditional code is omitted, it does not suffice later to
distribute just a new version of the class or interface that contains the definition of
the flag. A change to the value of a flag is, therefore, not binary compatible with
preexisting binaries ( 13.4.8). (There are other reasons for such incompatibility as
well, such as the use of constants in
case
 labels in
switch
 statements; see
 13.4.8.)
One ought not to be thrown into confusion
By a plain statement of relationship . . .
 Robert Frost,
The Generations of Men
 (1914)
299






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