From 2645b4463b4fd6eb3e4fd73d8b733af5595509d4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Bas Leijdekkers <bas.leijdekkers@jetbrains.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:17:31 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] IDEA-331038 [java]: better error message for "attempting to
 assign weaker access privileges"

GitOrigin-RevId: 9edbeca1895c09e471200dc4d31ad587c382045a
---
 .../messages/JavaCompilationErrorBundle.properties        | 2 +-
 .../advHighlighting/AccessLevelClash.java                 | 8 ++++----
 .../advHighlighting/StaticOverride.java                   | 6 +++---
 .../advHighlighting9/PrivateInInterfacesOverriding.java   | 2 +-
 .../DontReportWeakerVisibilityProblemUpInHierarchy.java   | 2 +-
 5 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/java/codeserver/highlighting/resources/messages/JavaCompilationErrorBundle.properties b/java/codeserver/highlighting/resources/messages/JavaCompilationErrorBundle.properties
index 4e0d41c96291..298c08ba9865 100644
--- a/java/codeserver/highlighting/resources/messages/JavaCompilationErrorBundle.properties
+++ b/java/codeserver/highlighting/resources/messages/JavaCompilationErrorBundle.properties
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ method.should.have.body=Method body expected
 method.instance.overrides.static=Instance method ''{0}'' in ''{1}'' cannot override static method ''{2}'' in ''{3}''
 method.static.overrides.instance=Static method ''{0}'' in ''{1}'' cannot override instance method ''{2}'' in ''{3}''
 method.overrides.final=''{0}'' cannot override ''{1}'' in ''{2}''; overridden method is final
-method.inheritance.weaker.privileges={0}; attempting to assign weaker access privileges (''{1}''); was ''{2}''
+method.inheritance.weaker.privileges={0}; cannot reduce visibility from ''{2}'' to ''{1}''
 method.inheritance.clash.unrelated.return.types={0}; methods have unrelated return types
 method.inheritance.clash.incompatible.return.types={0}; incompatible return type
 method.inheritance.clash.does.not.throw={0}; overridden method does not throw ''{1}''
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/AccessLevelClash.java b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/AccessLevelClash.java
index 077b6873bcc6..636871a602de 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/AccessLevelClash.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/AccessLevelClash.java
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ interface i {
 }
 
 public class a implements i {
- void <error descr="'ff()' in 'a' clashes with 'ff()' in 'i'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('package-private'); was 'public'">ff</error>() {}
+ void <error descr="'ff()' in 'a' clashes with 'ff()' in 'i'; cannot reduce visibility from 'public' to 'package-private'">ff</error>() {}
 }
 class ai implements i {
  public <error descr="'ff()' in 'ai' clashes with 'ff()' in 'i'; incompatible return type">int</error> ff() { return 0;}
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class c3 extends c2 {
 
 class c4 extends c3 {
  private c4() {}
- <error descr="'g()' in 'c4' clashes with 'g()' in 'c2'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('private'); was 'protected'">private</error> void g() {}
+ <error descr="'g()' in 'c4' clashes with 'g()' in 'c2'; cannot reduce visibility from 'protected' to 'private'">private</error> void g() {}
  private String fff(String s) throws java.io.IOException { return null; }
 }
 class c4i extends c3 {
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ interface A {
 interface ConflictWithObject {
         Object clone() throws CloneNotSupportedException;
 }
-<error descr="'clone()' in 'java.lang.Object' clashes with 'clone()' in 'ConflictWithObject'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('protected'); was 'public'">class s implements ConflictWithObject</error> {
+<error descr="'clone()' in 'java.lang.Object' clashes with 'clone()' in 'ConflictWithObject'; cannot reduce visibility from 'public' to 'protected'">class s implements ConflictWithObject</error> {
 
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ interface InderFace {
 interface SubInderFace extends InderFace {
 }
 
-<error descr="'clone()' in 'java.lang.Object' clashes with 'clone()' in 'InderFace'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('protected'); was 'public'">class Implementation implements SubInderFace</error> {
+<error descr="'clone()' in 'java.lang.Object' clashes with 'clone()' in 'InderFace'; cannot reduce visibility from 'public' to 'protected'">class Implementation implements SubInderFace</error> {
 }
 
 
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/StaticOverride.java b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/StaticOverride.java
index 3db96fb51612..1b81a6e999e6 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/StaticOverride.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/StaticOverride.java
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ interface i2 {
 class weak {
   void f1() {}
 }
-<error descr="'f1()' in 'weak' clashes with 'f1()' in 'i'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('package-private'); was 'public'">class a2 extends weak implements i</error> {
+<error descr="'f1()' in 'weak' clashes with 'f1()' in 'i'; cannot reduce visibility from 'public' to 'package-private'">class a2 extends weak implements i</error> {
 }
 
 class a3 {
   protected void f1() {}
 }
-<error descr="'f1()' in 'a3' clashes with 'f1()' in 'i'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('protected'); was 'public'">class a4 extends a3 implements i</error> {
+<error descr="'f1()' in 'a3' clashes with 'f1()' in 'i'; cannot reduce visibility from 'public' to 'protected'">class a4 extends a3 implements i</error> {
 //  public void f1() {}
 }
 class a5 extends a3 implements i {
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class Foo {
     protected static void foo(String s) {}
 }
 class Bar extends Foo{
-    <error descr="'foo(String)' in 'Bar' clashes with 'foo(String)' in 'Foo'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('private'); was 'protected'">private</error> static void foo(String s) {}
+    <error descr="'foo(String)' in 'Bar' clashes with 'foo(String)' in 'Foo'; cannot reduce visibility from 'protected' to 'private'">private</error> static void foo(String s) {}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting9/PrivateInInterfacesOverriding.java b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting9/PrivateInInterfacesOverriding.java
index 091b779ac2a6..9429dbf1ea2f 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting9/PrivateInInterfacesOverriding.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting9/PrivateInInterfacesOverriding.java
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ interface A1 extends A {
   <error descr="Static method 'm()' in 'A1' cannot override instance method 'm()' in 'A'">private static void m()</error> {}
 }
 interface A2 extends A {
-  <error descr="'m()' in 'A2' clashes with 'm()' in 'A'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('private'); was 'public'">private</error> void m() {}
+  <error descr="'m()' in 'A2' clashes with 'm()' in 'A'; cannot reduce visibility from 'public' to 'private'">private</error> void m() {}
 }
 
 interface B {
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/genericsHighlighting/DontReportWeakerVisibilityProblemUpInHierarchy.java b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/genericsHighlighting/DontReportWeakerVisibilityProblemUpInHierarchy.java
index 2f17edfb3e93..732d5274e03b 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/genericsHighlighting/DontReportWeakerVisibilityProblemUpInHierarchy.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/genericsHighlighting/DontReportWeakerVisibilityProblemUpInHierarchy.java
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ class F {
 
 class E extends F {
   @Override
-  <error descr="'f()' in 'E' clashes with 'f()' in 'F'; attempting to assign weaker access privileges ('protected'); was 'public'">protected</error> void f() {
+  <error descr="'f()' in 'E' clashes with 'f()' in 'F'; cannot reduce visibility from 'public' to 'protected'">protected</error> void f() {
     super.f();
   }
 }