Datasheet

The start method takes a RootDoc as a parameter, which is automatically passed in by the javadoc

tool. The RootDoc provides the starting point to obtain access to all elements inside the source code, and

also information on the command line such as additional packages and classes.

The interfaces added to the doclet API for annotations are

AnnotationDesc, AnnotationDesc

.ElementValuePair

, AnnotationTypeDoc, AnnotationTypeElementDoc, and AnnotationValue.

Any element of Java source that can have annotations has an

annotations() method associated

with the doclet API’s counterpart to the source code element. These are

AnnotationTypeDoc,

AnnotationTypeElementDoc, ClassDoc, ConstructorDoc, ExecutableMemberDoc, FieldDoc,

MethodDoc, and MemberDoc. The annotations() method returns an array of AnnotationDesc.

AnnotationDesc

This class represents an annotation, which is an annotation type (AnnotationTypeDoc), and an array of

annotation type elements paired with their values.

AnnotationDesc defines the following methods.

Method Description

AnnotationTypeDoc Returns this annotation’s type.

annotationType()

AnnotationDesc Returns an array of an annotation’s elements and their values.

.ElementValuePair[] Only elements explicitly listed are returned. The elements that

elementValues() aren’t listed explicitly, which assume their default value, are

not returned because this method processes just what is listed.

If there are no elements, an empty array is returned.

AnnotationDesc.ElementValuePair

This represents an association between an annotation type’s element and its value. The following methods

are defined.

Method Description

AnnotationTypeElementDoc Returns the annotation type element.

element()

AnnotationValue value() Returns the annotation type element’s value.

AnnotationTypeDoc

This interface represents an annotation in the source code, just like ClassDoc represents a Class. Only

one method is defined.

Method Description

AnnotationTypeElementDoc[] Returns an array of the elements of this annotation type.

elements()

Chapter 1: Key Java Language Features and Libraries

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