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Annotations

This document discusses Java annotations. It explains that annotations provide metadata that can add value to code and can be applied to classes, methods, and variables. Common built-in annotations like @Override and @FunctionalInterface are described. The document also covers defining custom annotations by using the @interface syntax and defining annotation elements. Finally, it discusses annotations that can be applied to other annotations, such as @Target, @Retention, and @Repeatable.

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7 views17 pages

Annotations

This document discusses Java annotations. It explains that annotations provide metadata that can add value to code and can be applied to classes, methods, and variables. Common built-in annotations like @Override and @FunctionalInterface are described. The document also covers defining custom annotations by using the @interface syntax and defining annotation elements. Finally, it discusses annotations that can be applied to other annotations, such as @Target, @Retention, and @Repeatable.

Uploaded by

almahmoud92
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Annotations

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


Annotations

Java 11 (1Z0-819)

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


Annotations

• Metadata is information about information.

• Annotations, via metadata, enable us to add value to our


code.

• We can annotate (assign metadata) to classes, methods


variables etc..

• Though optional, when used they must be used correctly.

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


Annotations

• Annotations operate much like interfaces. In fact, their


origins are in interfaces. Their “elements” look like abstract
methods. This will be clearer when we look at examples.

• Annotation names are case sensitive; however, it is common


practice to start the name with an uppercase letter.

• Like interfaces, annotations can be applied to unrelated


classes.

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


• CommonBuiltInAnnotations.java
• CommonBuiltInAnnotationsExtra.java

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


Annotations

• Previous programs focused on in-built annotations such as


@Override and @FunctionalInterface. These specific in-built
annotations can be applied to methods and interfaces
respectively.

• Later we will deal with other in-built annotations that can be


applied to annotations themselves.

• Now, we will turn our attention to defining custom


annotations.

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


Annotations

• As stated earlier, annotations have a lot in common with


interfaces; for example, a marker annotation has no elements
(a marker interface has no methods). Annotations, as with
interfaces, can be applied to unrelated classes.

• In fact, we annotate our annotation with @interface.

• public @interface MyAnnotation {} // marker annotation

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


Annotations

• An annotation element is an attribute of the annotation. The


elements (attributes) can have values.

• public @interface MyAnnotation {


int myElement(); // looks like an abstract method!
}

• Remember that annotations have their origins in interfaces.


Essentially, the JVM translates the above element into an
interface method and the annotation itself as an
implementation of the interface.
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Copyright © Seán Kennedy


• CustomAnnotations.java

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


Annotations on Annotations

• There are annotations that can be applied to annotations.

• As opposed to applying built-in annotations to types


(methods, interfaces, fields etc..); we can actually apply built-
in annotations to annotations themselves.

• For example, you might want to limit where your annotation


can be used or you may want your annotation information
included in Javadoc documentation.

10

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


@Target

• @Target limits the types that the annotation can be applied


to.

• The types are specified as an array of ElementType enum


values.

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Copyright © Seán Kennedy


@Target

ElementType value Scope (what it applies to)


TYPE Interfaces, enums, classes, annotations.
METHOD Method declarations
PARAMETER Constructor and method parameters
FIELD Instance and static variables
CONSTRUCTOR Constructor declarations
LOCAL_VARIABLE Local variables
ANNOTATION_TYPE Annotations
TYPE_USE Anywhere there is a Java data type. This includes where
types are used e.g. object creation with new.

12

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


• TargetExample.java

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


@Retention

• In generics, we encountered “type erasure” where certain


information is discarded by the compiler when converting
source code into .class file.

• Similarly annotations may be discarded at compile time, at


runtime or not at all. We can control when this happens by
using the @Retention annotation.

• We specify the level of retention using an enum value from


RetentionPolicy.

14

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


@ Retention

RetentionPolicy value Description


SOURCE Source file only, compiler discards it.
CLASS Stored in the .class file but not available at runtime. This is
the default compiler behaviour.
RUNTIME Stored in the .class and available at runtime (via reflection).

15

Copyright © Seán Kennedy


@Repeatable
• This annotation enables us to specify an annotation on a
type more than once.

• This is useful if you wanted to use the same annotation but


with different values each time; thus, it is not of much use for
marker annotations (which have no elements).

• Requires two annotations:


1. A container annotation which has a value() array element; the
type of the array is the annotation you want to repeat.
2. The annotation to want to repeat; which is annotated with:
@Repeatable(ContainerAnnotationName.class)
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Copyright © Seán Kennedy


• RepeatableExample.java

Copyright © Seán Kennedy

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