[antlr-interest] ANTLR v3.4 generates compiler errors (that v3.3 doesn't generate)

[Dieter Habelitz]

Hi folks,

When feeding ANTLR 3.4 with my Java grammars it doesn't generate valid 
Java sources (26 compiler errors) - with v3.3 everything is okay.

Here's a snipped of the grammar that raises one of the problems:

statement
   :   block
   |   assertStatement
   |   ifStatement   
   |   forStatement
   |	[... and so on ...]
   ;           

ifStatement
	: IF parenthesizedExpression ifStat=statement 
       (   ELSE elseStat=statement -> ^(IF parenthesizedExpression $ifStat $elseStat)
       |                           -> ^(IF parenthesizedExpression $ifStat)
       )
	;

Amongst other things v3.4 generates the following code for the 'ELSE' branch
of the rule 'ifStatement' (have a look at the local 'variable 
declaration': void  =null;):

   public final void synpred137_Java_fragment() throws RecognitionException {
       void  =null;

       // [... some comments not relevant here ...]
       {
       match(input,ELSE,FOLLOW_ELSE_in_synpred137_Java9244); if (state.failed) return ;

       pushFollow(FOLLOW_statement_in_synpred137_Java9248);
       elseStat=statement();

       state._fsp--;
       if (state.failed) return ;

       }

   }

However, v3.3 generates the following code from the same grammar:

   public final void synpred137_Java_fragment() throws RecognitionException {   
       JavaParser.statement_return elseStat = null;


       // [... some comments not relevant here ...]
       {
       match(input,ELSE,FOLLOW_ELSE_in_synpred137_Java9244); if (state.failed) return ;
       pushFollow(FOLLOW_statement_in_synpred137_Java9248);
       elseStat=statement();

       state._fsp--;
       if (state.failed) return ;

       }
   }

The complete grammars can be found at ...
http://www.habelitz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=8

Any hints? A bug within v3.4?

Ciao
Dieter