[jdom-interest] detach() [eg]

[Joseph Bowbeer]

jh writes:

> I would argue if a document without a root is passed to this
> method, it's a programmer error, appropriate for an ISE.

Yes, it's a programmer error, but surely IllegalArgumentException relates
more closely to the Consumer class and the invoked consume method than an
IllegalStateException coming from within the Document.

> The code for a move:
>
> if (elt.isRootElement()) {
>   elt.getDocument().setRootElement(new Element("Bogus"));
> } else {
>   elt.detach();
> }
> newelt.addContent(elt);
>
> Not much better, and again many programmers will just write:
>
> newelt.addContent(elt.detach());
>

In the examples you give for detaching an Element, you always include the
state checks (isRootElement) -- as if (re)moving a root is a perfectly
normal thing to do.  Yet, you argue that consumers of Document don't need to
check the state of the Document because removing the root from a Document is
a special case and not part of the normal flow of control.  Why is this a
reasonable disparity?

--
Joe Bowbeer