Interesting exception to overloading enum rule from Sierra Bates book

[nico dotti]

Hello all. On page 65 of Bates and Sierra book there is an example enum where the getLidCode method is overloaded. There's a comment that says that <-- the semicolon is REQUIRED...
I just coded something similar that seems to work without the ';'. Granted I put the overloaded enum type first (their's has it last), but I didn't put a semicolon and it worked just fine. Here's the code:

  class enum_constructors {
enum TEST {testing1, testing2};
public static void main (String [] args) {
TEST t;
t = TEST.testing1;
// Doing the following (cast a enum to String)=compiler error:
// incconvertable types
// String s = (String) t;// can I cast an enum to String?
 
SIZES size;
// enum TEST {TESTING, TESTING2};// illegal to declare enum locally
size = SIZES.BIG;
System.out.println( size );
System.out.println( size.getOunces());
System.out.println( size.getMessage());
System.out.println( size.getAdvice());
size = SIZES.MEDIUM;
System.out.println( size.getOunces() + "  -  " + size.getMessage() + " - " + size.getAdvice());
}
}
enum SIZES { 
 BIG(16,"You piggy!") {
public String getAdvice() {
return "You seriously need to think about how this will affect your weight!";
}
 }, 
 MEDIUM (12, "Just enough"), 
 SMALL(8,"Live a little why don't you!"); 
 
private int ounces;
private String message;
SIZES(int o, String m) {this.ounces = o;this.message = m;}
public int getOunces(){return this.ounces;}
public String getMessage(){return this.message;}
public String getAdvice(){return "There is no advice for this size drink"; 
}
}
  

Any comments or explanations?
[ November 14, 2007: Message edited by: nico dotti ]

[ahmed yehia]

A semi colon is required to end enum Constant declarations when you have an enum body(i.e variables, methods, Constructors), Not when you have a Constant specific class body.

And you still have to provide it in you example:
SMALL(8,"Live a little why don't you!"); <-

[nico dotti]

Thanks Ahmed...that makes sense to me. However, I didn't quite understand you're last comment - were you basically pointing out that my example itself confirms what you're saying given the ';' at the end?

[ahmed yehia]

Yes, in your example you have an enum body, hence the semi colon is required.