NonNullByDefault: provide exact syntax for turning it off

[dilyanpalauzov]

I had difficulties fighting with the compiler and once I found out that @NonNullByDefault can be switched off for a small scope, I tried with many syntaxes: @NonNullByDefault(value=false), @NonNullByDefault(false) and others, until I found the exact syntax.

For people who regularly use Java the current documentation is probably very good, but for others, who have to fight with the compiler, this addition will be very welcomed.

[iloveeclipse]

@dilyanpalauzov : thanks for the PR.
Please note, you have first to submit ECA, see https://api.eclipse.org/git/eca/status/gh/eclipse-jdt/eclipse.jdt.core/4512

[dilyanpalauzov]

I am not going to submit anything further, to what I did. I do not have the time to read what ECA means.

Take the current change as a gift. If you do not like the gift, throw it in the garbage.

[eclipse-jdt-bot]

This pull request changes some projects for the first time in this development cycle.
Therefore the following files need a version increment:

org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/pom.xml

An additional commit containing all the necessary changes was pushed to the top of this PR's branch. To obtain these changes (for example if you want to push more changes) either fetch from your fork or apply the git patch.

Git patch

From 8625a12f0564144592a349868a1c2e4c45a98a4d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eclipse JDT Bot <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:56:59 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Version bump(s) for 4.38 stream


diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF b/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
index 46cccb0971..ac03ab4bfa 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
 Bundle-Name: %bundleName
 Bundle-Localization: bundle
 Bundle-SymbolicName: org.eclipse.jdt.annotation
-Bundle-Version: 2.4.0.qualifier
+Bundle-Version: 2.4.100.qualifier
 Export-Package: org.eclipse.jdt.annotation
 Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: JavaSE-1.8
 Bundle-Vendor: %providerName
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/pom.xml b/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/pom.xml
index ff462fbe2f..a7b6db2d31 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/pom.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.annotation/pom.xml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     <version>4.38.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
   <artifactId>org.eclipse.jdt.annotation</artifactId>
-  <version>2.4.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <version>2.4.100-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <packaging>eclipse-plugin</packaging>
 
   <build>
-- 
2.51.0

Further information are available in Common Build Issues - Missing version increments.

[iloveeclipse]

I am not going to submit anything further, to what I did. I do not have the time to read what ECA means.

Eclipse Contributor Agreement. Without ECA signed, no code can be accepted, sorry.

[dilyanpalauzov]

This is non-sense. If I fill a ticket and as a result somebody does the identical change, then it will be perfectly fine.

However it will be more work, compared to just accepting this change. First I have to invest time to create a ticket and then somebody has to invest time to fix the report, in the same way I did, and close the ticket.

I personally have no interest neither if this is fixed, nor in filling a ticket. Accepting this change is beneficial not for me, but for a broader group of persons.

In this concrete case ECA rules do not serve a legitimate purpose, but end in theirselves.

[iloveeclipse]

This is non-sense.

It is not disputable. No code can be accepted without ECA signed.
If you do not plan to sign it, please simply close this PR to save our both time.

[stephan-herrmann]

There's also a hint in https://help.eclipse.org/latest/index.jsp?topic=%2Forg.eclipse.jdt.doc.user%2Ftasks%2Ftask-using_null_type_annotations.htm&cp%3D1_3_9_1_3_2&anchor=compatibility_semantics