src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/code/SymbolMetadata.java

@@ -423,15 +423,19 @@
 
         private final Annotate.AnnotateRepeatedContext<T> ctx;
         private final List<T> placeholderFor;
         private final Symbol on;
 
-        public Placeholder(Annotate.AnnotateRepeatedContext<T> ctx, List<T> placeholderFor, Symbol on) {
+        public Placeholder(Annotate.AnnotateRepeatedContext<T> ctx,
+                           List<T> placeholderFor, Symbol on) {
             super(on.type, List.<Pair<Symbol.MethodSymbol, Attribute>>nil(),
                     ctx.isTypeCompound ?
                             ((Attribute.TypeCompound)placeholderFor.head).position :
-                                new TypeAnnotationPosition());
+                  // Eventually, we will need to get rid of this use
+                  // of unknown, either by using null, or by throwing
+                  // an assertion failure here.
+                  TypeAnnotationPosition.unknown);
             this.ctx = ctx;
             this.placeholderFor = placeholderFor;
             this.on = on;
         }