[LANG-1778] MethodUtils.getMatchingMethod() doesn't respect the hierarchy of methods

[wuwu2000]

fix https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/LANG-1778

[garydgregory]

@wuwu2000

Please fix build failures. You can run mvn (by itself) to run all build checks.

[wuwu2000]

@garydgregory thanks, done!

[garydgregory]

Hello @wuwu2000

YW 😄

Do you think the same type of issue applies to other callers of org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect.MethodUtils.getAllSuperclassesAndInterfaces(Class<?>) like org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect.MethodUtils.getAnnotation(Method, Class<A>, boolean, boolean)?

What about elsewhere in the class?

[wuwu2000]

So far only

• org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect.MethodUtils.getMethodsListWithAnnotation(Class<?>, Class<? extends Annotation>, boolean, boolean)
• org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect.MethodUtils.getAnnotation(Method, Class<A>, boolean, boolean) and
• org.apache.commons.lang3.reflect.MethodUtils.getMatchingMethod(Class<?>, Class<? extends Annotation>, boolean, boolean)

are using this private method.

getMethodsListWithAnnotation in my opinion is uncritical. You just get every method annotated and it works fine

getAnnotation I just checked it has the same issue as getMatchingMethod had before this fix.

To be honest, the thing that getAnnotation and getMatchingMethod find the method most "near" to the implementing class is more like a opinion. I guess the consumer may expect either

1. find the (annotation of) the method most "up"/"near to implementing class" - sorry I don't know how to express this
2. find the (annotation of) the method of the interface
3. get an exception if it's unclear for MethodUtil

I think option 1 is the most intuitive (that's how spring mvc annotation system works, at least similar). Maybe MethodUtils.getAnnotation and MethodUtils.getMatchingMethod need additional parameters to be able to fulfil the expectations of the consumer?

I think in nearer future the order of getAllSuperclassesAndInterfaces should be in the order concrete class => super => super.super etc.. => interfaces - sorry for my quite dirty fix only for getMatchingMethod, I wasn't sure how much I am allowed to change 🗡️