org.apiguardian.api

Annotation Type API

@Target(value={TYPE,METHOD,CONSTRUCTOR,FIELD})
 @Retention(value=RUNTIME)
 @Documented
public @interface API

@API is used to annotate public types, methods, constructors, and fields within a framework or application in order to publish their status() and level of stability and to indicate how they are intended to be used by consumers() of the API.

If @API is present on a type, it is considered to hold for all public members of the type as well. However, a member of such an annotated type is allowed to declare a API.Status of lower stability. For example, a class annotated with @API(status = STABLE) may declare a constructor for internal usage that is annotated with @API(status = INTERNAL).

Since:

1.0

Required Element Summary

Required Elements

Modifier and Type	Required Element and Description
API.Status	status The current status of the API.

Optional Element Summary

Optional Elements

Modifier and Type	Optional Element and Description
java.lang.String[]	consumers List of packages belonging to intended consumers.
java.lang.String	since The version of the API when the status() was last changed.

Element Detail

status

public abstract API.Status status

The current status of the API.

since

public abstract java.lang.String since

The version of the API when the status() was last changed.

Defaults to an empty string, signifying that the since version is unknown.

Default:

""

consumers

public abstract java.lang.String[] consumers

List of packages belonging to intended consumers.

The supplied packages can be fully qualified package names or patterns containing asterisks that will be used as wildcards.

Defaults to "*", signifying that the API is intended to be consumed by any package.

Default:

"*"