Annotations
Java predefined support in the form of packages,
the package contains 6-elements,
i. Classes
ii. Interfaces
iii. Exceptions
iv. Error
v. Enums
vi. Annotations
Annotations are not to develop the application just it is giving the metadata information to compiler.
General purpose annotation :
programming level annotations we will use at application level.
The Programming level annotations are present in "java.lang" package.
@Override
@SuppressWarnings
@Deprecated
@FuntionalInterface
@SafeVararg
Meta annotation:
Annotaion about annotations is called MetaAnnotation.
The meta annotations are giving information about general purpose annotations.
The meta annotations are present in "java.lang.annotation" package.
@Target
@Retention
@Documented
@Inherited
@Target : Indicates the contexts in which an annotation type is applicable.
CONSTRUCTOR
Constructor declaration
FIELD
Field declaration (includes enum constants)
LOCAL_VARIABLE
Local variable declaration
METHOD
Method declaration
PACKAGE
Package declaration
PARAMETER
Formal parameter declaration
TYPE
Class, interface (including annotation type), or enum declaration
TYPE_PARAMETER
Type parameter declaration
TYPE_USE
Use of a type
@Retention:
Indicates how long annotations with the annotated type are to be retained. If no Retention
annotation is present on an annotation type declaration, the retention policy defaults to
RetentionPolicy.CLASS
public static final RetentionPolicy SOURCE
Annotations are to be discarded by the compiler.
public static final RetentionPolicy CLASS
Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler but need not be
retained by the VM at run time. This is the default behavior.
public static final RetentionPolicy RUNTIME
Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler and retained by the
VM at run time, so they may be read reflectively.
@Documented:
Indicates that annotations with a type are to be documented by javadoc and similar tools by
default.
1.
@Override : To represnet the method is override method.
@Target(value=METHOD)
@Retention(value=SOURCE)
public @interface Override{
class MyThread extends Thread
{ @Override
public void run() {
2. @SuppressWarnings
To suppress the warning message.
@Target(value={TYPE,FIELD,METHOD,PARAMETER,CONSTRUCTOR,LOCAL_VARIABLE})
@Retention(value=SOURCE)
public @interface SuppressWarnings{
}
public class Ex1 {
@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
public static void main(String[] args) {
@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
ArrayList objs = new ArrayList();
objs.add(10);
objs.add(10.6);
objs.add("ratan");
3. @FunctionalInterface
To represent the interface is Functional.
@Documented
@Retention(value=RUNTIME)
@Target(value=TYPE)
public @interface FunctionalInterface{
@FunctionalInterface
interface Greeting
{ void greet();
4. @Deprecated
To represent the method is deprecated.
@Documented
@Retention(value=RUNTIME)
@Target(value={CONSTRUCTOR,FIELD,LOCAL_VARIABLE,METHOD,PACKAGE,PARAMETER,TYPE})
public @interface Deprecated{
}
ex:
package com.stahya;
class Python
{ @Deprecated
void course()
{ System.out.println("pythion classes are running");
public class Student {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Python python = new Python();
python.course();
A program element annotated @Deprecated is one that programmers are discouraged from using,
typically because it is dangerous, or because a better alternative exists.
5. @SafeVarArg
@Documented
@Retention(value=RUNTIME)
@Target(value={CONSTRUCTOR,METHOD})
public @interface SafeVarargs{
