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/OpenJDK 25

Interface Annotation

public sealed interface Annotation
Models an annotation structure (JVMS 4.7.16) or part of a type_annotation structure (JVMS 4.7.20). This model indicates the interface of the annotation and a set of element-value pairs.

This model can reconstruct an annotation, given the location of the modeled structure in the class file and the definition of the annotation interface.

Two Annotation objects should be compared using the equals method.

API Note:
For Java programs, the location of the modeled structure indicates the source code element or type (JLS 9.7.4) on which the reconstructed annotation appears, and the annotation interface definition determines whether the reconstructed annotation has elements with default values (JLS 9.6.2), and whether the reconstructed annotation is a container annotation for multiple annotations (JLS 9.7.5).
Since:
24
See Also:

Method Summary

Modifier and Type Method Description
Utf8Entry className()
Returns the constant pool entry holding the descriptor string of the annotation interface.
default ClassDesc classSymbol()
Returns the annotation interface, as a symbolic descriptor.
List<AnnotationElement> elements()
Returns the element-value pairs of the annotation.
static Annotation of(Utf8Entry annotationClass, AnnotationElement... elements)
Returns an annotation.
static Annotation of(Utf8Entry annotationClass, List<AnnotationElement> elements)
Returns an annotation.
static Annotation of(ClassDesc annotationClass, AnnotationElement... elements)
Returns an annotation.
static Annotation of(ClassDesc annotationClass, List<AnnotationElement> elements)
Returns an annotation.

Method Details

className

Utf8Entry className()
Returns the constant pool entry holding the descriptor string of the annotation interface.
Returns:
the constant pool entry holding the descriptor string of the annotation interface
See Also:

classSymbol

default ClassDesc classSymbol()
Returns the annotation interface, as a symbolic descriptor.
Returns:
the annotation interface, as a symbolic descriptor
See Also:

elements

List<AnnotationElement> elements()
Returns the element-value pairs of the annotation.
Returns:
the element-value pairs of the annotation

of

static Annotation of(Utf8Entry annotationClass, List<AnnotationElement> elements)
Returns an annotation.
Parameters:
annotationClass - the constant pool entry holding the descriptor string of the annotation interface
elements - the element-value pairs of the annotation
Returns:
an annotation

of

static Annotation of(Utf8Entry annotationClass, AnnotationElement... elements)
Returns an annotation.
Parameters:
annotationClass - the constant pool entry holding the descriptor string of the annotation interface
elements - the element-value pairs of the annotation
Returns:
an annotation

of

static Annotation of(ClassDesc annotationClass, List<AnnotationElement> elements)
Returns an annotation.
Parameters:
annotationClass - the descriptor of the annotation interface
elements - the element-value pairs of the annotation
Returns:
an annotation

of

static Annotation of(ClassDesc annotationClass, AnnotationElement... elements)
Returns an annotation.
Parameters:
annotationClass - the descriptor of the annotation interface
elements - the element-value pairs of the annotation
Returns:
an annotation

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Documentation extracted from Debian's OpenJDK Development Kit package.
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https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/25/docs/api/java.base/java/lang/classfile/Annotation.html