[Java] @CopilotTool ergonomics: Validate @Param defaultValue parseability at compile time

[edburns]

Overview

Add compile-time validation in CopilotToolProcessor that checks whether a @Param(defaultValue="...") string is parseable for the annotated parameter's type. Currently, an invalid default (e.g., @Param(defaultValue="abc") on an int parameter) will surface as either a compiler error in the generated $$CopilotToolMeta code or a runtime coercion error — and the error message will point at the generated class instead of the original annotation site.

This enhancement reports the error directly on the @Param annotation via Messager.printMessage(ERROR, ...), giving developers a clear message at the source of the problem.

Branch: edburns/1682-java-tool-ergonomics on upstream (⚠️ NOT main — PRs must target this branch)

Origin: PR #1787 review comment r3469523818

Prerequisites

• Tasks 4.1–4.4 must be complete and merged to the branch (they are).
• Before writing any code, read the existing validation logic in CopilotToolProcessor.java (lines 65–73 for the required=true + defaultValue conflict check).

Deliverables

File to modify

1. java/src/main/java/com/github/copilot/tool/CopilotToolProcessor.java — add a validateDefaultValue(VariableElement param, TypeMirror type, String defaultValue) method and call it from the existing @Param validation loop.

Implementation specification

Add validation in the existing @Param validation loop (currently at lines 65–73) that checks parseability when defaultValue is non-empty. The validation must cover:

Parameter type	Validation
int / java.lang.Integer	Integer.parseInt(defaultValue) succeeds
long / java.lang.Long	Long.parseLong(defaultValue) succeeds
short / java.lang.Short	Short.parseShort(defaultValue) succeeds
byte / java.lang.Byte	Byte.parseByte(defaultValue) succeeds
float / java.lang.Float	Float.parseFloat(defaultValue) succeeds
double / java.lang.Double	Double.parseDouble(defaultValue) succeeds
boolean / java.lang.Boolean	Value is exactly "true" or "false" (case-insensitive)
char / java.lang.Character	defaultValue.length() == 1
java.lang.String	Always valid — skip validation
Enum types	Value matches one of the enum constants (use TypeElement.getEnclosedElements() filtered by ElementKind.ENUM_CONSTANT)

For types not in this table (records, POJOs, java.time.*, collections, etc.), do NOT validate — emit no error. These types use Jackson convertValue() at runtime and their string representation is too complex for compile-time validation.

Error message format

@Param defaultValue "<value>" is not a valid <type>. Expected: <hint>.

Examples:

• @Param defaultValue "abc" is not a valid int. Expected: an integer literal (e.g., "42").
• @Param defaultValue "maybe" is not a valid boolean. Expected: "true" or "false".
• @Param defaultValue "UNKNOWN" is not a valid com.example.Color. Expected one of: RED, GREEN, BLUE.

Where to integrate

In the existing validation loop in process():

// Validate @Param conflicts
for (VariableElement param : method.getParameters()) {
    Param paramAnnotation = param.getAnnotation(Param.class);
    if (paramAnnotation != null && paramAnnotation.required()
            && !paramAnnotation.defaultValue().isEmpty()) {
        processingEnv.getMessager().printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.ERROR,
                "@Param cannot have both required=true and a non-empty defaultValue", param);
    }
    // ADD HERE: validate defaultValue parseability
    if (paramAnnotation != null && !paramAnnotation.defaultValue().isEmpty()) {
        validateDefaultValue(param, param.asType(), paramAnnotation.defaultValue());
    }
}

Helper method skeleton

/**
 * Validates that a @Param defaultValue string can be parsed as the given parameter type.
 * Emits a compile error on the parameter if validation fails.
 * Types that cannot be validated at compile time (records, POJOs, java.time.*, etc.)
 * are silently skipped.
 */
private void validateDefaultValue(VariableElement param, TypeMirror type, String defaultValue) {
    // Handle primitives
    if (type.getKind().isPrimitive()) {
        switch (type.getKind()) {
            case INT:
                tryParse(() -> Integer.parseInt(defaultValue), param, "int", "an integer literal (e.g., \"42\")");
                break;
            case LONG:
                tryParse(() -> Long.parseLong(defaultValue), param, "long", "a long literal (e.g., \"100\")");
                break;
            // ... short, byte, float, double, boolean, char
        }
        return;
    }
    // Handle declared types (boxed, String, enums)
    if (type.getKind() == TypeKind.DECLARED) {
        TypeElement typeElement = (TypeElement) ((DeclaredType) type).asElement();
        String qualifiedName = typeElement.getQualifiedName().toString();
        if ("java.lang.String".equals(qualifiedName)) {
            return; // always valid
        }
        if ("java.lang.Integer".equals(qualifiedName)) {
            tryParse(() -> Integer.parseInt(defaultValue), param, "Integer", "an integer literal");
            return;
        }
        // ... other boxed types, Boolean, Character
        if (typeElement.getKind() == ElementKind.ENUM) {
            validateEnumDefault(param, typeElement, defaultValue);
            return;
        }
    }
    // Other types: skip validation (too complex for compile time)
}

private void tryParse(Runnable parser, VariableElement param, String typeName, String hint) {
    try {
        parser.run();
    } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
        processingEnv.getMessager().printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.ERROR,
                "@Param defaultValue \"" + /* defaultValue */ + "\" is not a valid " + typeName
                + ". Expected: " + hint + ".", param);
    }
}

private void validateEnumDefault(VariableElement param, TypeElement enumType, String defaultValue) {
    List<String> constants = enumType.getEnclosedElements().stream()
            .filter(e -> e.getKind() == ElementKind.ENUM_CONSTANT)
            .map(e -> e.getSimpleName().toString())
            .collect(Collectors.toList());
    if (!constants.contains(defaultValue)) {
        processingEnv.getMessager().printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.ERROR,
                "@Param defaultValue \"" + defaultValue + "\" is not a valid "
                + enumType.getQualifiedName() + ". Expected one of: "
                + String.join(", ", constants) + ".", param);
    }
}

Gating tests and criteria

All of the following must pass before this task is considered complete:

1. Invalid int default test: Compile a class with @Param(defaultValue="abc") int count — verify compile ERROR with message containing "not a valid int".
2. Invalid long default test: @Param(defaultValue="not_a_long") long id — verify compile ERROR.
3. Invalid boolean default test: @Param(defaultValue="maybe") boolean flag — verify compile ERROR with message mentioning "true" or "false".
4. Invalid char default test: @Param(defaultValue="ab") char c — verify compile ERROR (length != 1).
5. Invalid enum default test: @Param(defaultValue="UNKNOWN") MyEnum e where MyEnum has {RED, GREEN, BLUE} — verify compile ERROR listing the valid constants.
6. Valid int default test: @Param(defaultValue="42") int count — verify NO compile error (compilation succeeds).
7. Valid boolean default test: @Param(defaultValue="true") boolean flag — verify NO compile error.
8. Valid enum default test: @Param(defaultValue="RED") MyEnum e — verify NO compile error.
9. Skipped complex type test: @Param(defaultValue="2024-01-01T00:00:00Z") java.time.OffsetDateTime dt — verify NO compile error (validation is skipped for non-primitive, non-boxed, non-enum types).
10. Valid String default test: @Param(defaultValue="anything") String s — verify NO compile error.
11. Boxed types test: @Param(defaultValue="xyz") Integer n — verify compile ERROR.
12. Existing required+defaultValue conflict still works: Ensure the existing required=true + defaultValue validation is unchanged and still reports its own error.
13. Spotless format check: mvn spotless:check passes.
14. Full test suite: mvn clean verify passes (existing tests not broken).

Constraints

• ✅✅ YOU MUST run mvn spotless:apply before every commit.
• Do NOT modify any files outside the java/ directory.
• Follow existing code style (4-space indent, Javadoc on public APIs).
• Add tests to the existing CopilotToolProcessorTest.java test class.
• The isBoxedNumeric() helper already exists in CopilotToolProcessor — reuse it for the boxed numeric type checks.
• The validation must NOT reject complex types it cannot validate — silently skip them.
• Boolean validation must be case-insensitive ("True", "FALSE", "true" are all valid).