import statement with narrow scope (more narrow than a compilation unit)

[@lukaseder] I’m playing around with import statements, and I’m missing a terrific Scala feature: The possibility of using import statements within any scope level. In Scala, this is possible:

package com.example;

// Scope: This compilation unit
import java.io.Reader;

trait Test {

    // Scope: This trait
    import java.io.Writer;

    def x1() : Reader;
    def x2() : Writer;
    def x3() : Object = {

        // Scope: This method
        import java.io.PrintWriter;

        return new PrintWriter(x2());
    }
}

It seems that the import statement is only possible at a “top level”, i.e. for the compilation unit scope. I think it would be nice if a more narrow scope for import statements was possible, too

[Migrated from ceylon/ceylon-spec#614]

[gavinking]

That’s not to say we couldn’t change our minds and allow it in future, of course.

Heh, in the end we changed our mind @lukaseder 😉

[lukaseder]

I knew it 😃