Why do I get different compilation result depending on java imports and static imports sequence order? -

i've faced issue compilation, cannot understand why occurs. time spent understand reason (it far obvious in "crap" project), after reproducing error simplifies code show little example you:

package structure:

com.company | ----main.class | ----maker     |     ----maker.class 

maker.class

package com.company.maker;  public interface maker { } 

main.class

package com.company;  import static com.company.main.makerimpl.strategy.strategy1; import static com.company.main.makerimpl.strategy.strategy2; import com.company.maker.maker;  public class main {      public static void main(string[] args) {         system.out.println(strategy1.name() + strategy2.name());     }      static class makerimpl implements maker {         enum strategy {             strategy1, strategy2         }     } } 

and got compilation error in main class:

error:(15, 39) java: cannot find symbol symbol: class maker location: class com.company.main

and if change import sequence

import static com.company.main.makerimpl.strategy.strategy1; import static com.company.main.makerimpl.strategy.strategy2; ->import com.company.maker.maker; 

to

->import com.company.maker.maker; import static com.company.main.makerimpl.strategy.strategy1; import static com.company.main.makerimpl.strategy.strategy2; 

then compiled successfully.

is normal behaviour of java compiler? if want understand why happens.

p.s. tested using java version 1.8.0_112 , 1.7.0_80 (macos)

check :

http://bugs.java.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=6391197

it seems compiler sees first static import , jumps take care of inner class, fails because did not read last non static import.

so when change import order, problem not occur, since when compiler reads static import , jumps take care of inner class because imports used in inner class, compiler happy since imported non static maker interface.

wich means imports evaluated eagerly.

i hope helps.