The Java Language Specification, Third Edition

INTERFACES Annotation Types 9.6
DISCUSSION
Note that the at sign (@) and the keyword interface are two distinct tokens; technically it is
possible to separate them with whitespace, but this is strongly discouraged as a matter of
style.
AnnotationTypeDeclaration:
InterfaceModifiersopt @ interface Identifier AnnotationTypeBody
AnnotationTypeBody:
{ AnnotationTypeElementDeclarationsopt }
AnnotationTypeElementDeclarations:
AnnotationTypeElementDeclaration
AnnotationTypeElementDeclarations AnnotationTypeElementDeclaration
AnnotationTypeElementDeclaration:
AbstractMethodModifiersopt Type Identifier ( ) DefaultValueopt ;
ConstantDeclaration
ClassDeclaration
InterfaceDeclaration
EnumDeclaration
AnnotationTypeDeclaration
;
DefaultValue:
default ElementValue
DISCUSSION
DRAFT
The following restrictions are imposed on annotation type declarations by virtue of their
context free syntax:
• Annotation type declarations cannot be generic.
• No extends clause is permitted. (Annotation types implicitly extend annotation.Annotation.)
• Methods cannot have any parameters
• Methods cannot have any type parameters
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