The Java Language Specification, Third Edition

9.6 Annotation Types INTERFACES
276
DISCUSSION
The convention is illustrated in the following annotation type declaration:
// Single-element annotation type declaration
/**
* Associates a copyright notice with the annotated API element.
*/
public @interface Copyright {
String value();
}
The following annotation type declaration defines a single-element annotation type whose
sole element has an array type:
// Single-element annotation type declaration with array-typed
// element
/**
* Associates a list of endorsers with the annotated class.
*/
public @interface Endorsers {
String[] value();
}
Here is an example of complex annotation types, annotation types that contain one or more
elements whose types are also annotation types.
// Complex Annotation Type
/**
* A person’s name. This annotation type is not designed to be used
* directly to annotate program elements, but to define elements
* of other annotation types.
*/
public @interface Name {
String first();
String last();
}
DRAFT
/**
* Indicates the author of the annotated program element.
*/
public @interface Author {
Name value();
}
/**
* Indicates the reviewer of the annotated program element.
*/
public @interface Reviewer {
Name value();
}