Interface TypeElement
- All Superinterfaces:
AnnotatedConstruct
,Element
,Parameterizable
,QualifiedNameable
While a TypeElement
represents a class or interface
element, a DeclaredType
represents a class
or interface type, the latter being a use
(or invocation) of the former.
The distinction is most apparent with generic types,
for which a single element can define a whole
family of types. For example, the element
java.util.Set
corresponds to the parameterized types
java.util.Set<String>
and java.util.Set<Number>
(and many others), and to the raw type java.util.Set
.
Each method of this interface that returns a list of elements will return them in the order that is natural for the underlying source of program information. For example, if the underlying source of information is Java source code, then the elements will be returned in source code order.
- API Note:
- The represented class or interface may have a reference
representation (either source code or executable output). Multiple
classes and interfaces can share the same reference representation
backing construct. For example, multiple classes and interfaces can
be declared in the same source file, including, but not limited
to:
- a top-level class or interface and auxiliary classes and interfaces
- a top-level class or interface and nested classes and interfaces within it
In the context of annotation processing, a type element can be:
- created from the initial inputs to a run of the tool
- created from source code or class files written by a processor
- queried for in the configured environment
- Since:
- 1.6
- See Also:
-
Method Summary
Modifier and TypeMethodDescriptionasType()
Returns the type defined by this class or interface element, returning the prototypical type for an element representing a generic type.Returns the fields, methods, constructors, record components, and member classes and interfaces that are directly declared in this class or interface.Returns the package of a top-level class or interface and returns the immediately lexically enclosing element for a nested class or interface.List
<? extends TypeMirror> Returns the interface types directly implemented by this class or extended by this interface.Returns the nesting kind of this class or interface element.default List
<? extends TypeMirror> Returns the permitted classes of this class or interface element in declaration order.Returns the fully qualified name of this class or interface element.default List
<? extends RecordComponentElement> Returns the record components of this class or interface element in declaration order.Returns the simple name of this class or interface element.Returns the direct superclass of this class or interface element.List
<? extends TypeParameterElement> Returns the formal type parameters of this class or interface element in declaration order.Methods declared in interface javax.lang.model.element.Element
accept, equals, getAnnotation, getAnnotationMirrors, getAnnotationsByType, getKind, getModifiers, hashCode
-
Method Details
-
asType
TypeMirror asType()Returns the type defined by this class or interface element, returning the prototypical type for an element representing a generic type.A generic element defines a family of types, not just one. If this is a generic element, a prototypical type is returned which has the element's invocation on the type variables corresponding to its own formal type parameters. For example, for the generic class element
C<N extends Number>
, the parameterized typeC<N>
is returned. Otherwise, for a non-generic class or interface, the prototypical type mirror corresponds to a use of the type. None of the components of the prototypical type are annotated, including the prototypical type itself. -
getEnclosedElements
Returns the fields, methods, constructors, record components, and member classes and interfaces that are directly declared in this class or interface. This includes any mandated elements such as the (implicit) default constructor and the implicitvalues
andvalueOf
methods of an enum class.- Specified by:
getEnclosedElements
in interfaceElement
- API Note:
- As a particular instance of the general accuracy requirements and the ordering behavior required of this interface, the list of enclosed elements will be returned in the natural order for the originating source of information about the class or interface. For example, if the information about the class or interface is originating from a source file, the elements will be returned in source code order. (However, in that case the ordering of implicitly declared elements, such as default constructors, is not specified.)
- Returns:
- the enclosed elements in proper order, or an empty list if none
- See Java Language Specification:
-
8.8.9 Default Constructor
8.9.3 Enum Members
8.10.3 Record Members - See Also:
-
getNestingKind
NestingKind getNestingKind()Returns the nesting kind of this class or interface element.- Returns:
- the nesting kind of this class or interface element
-
getQualifiedName
Name getQualifiedName()Returns the fully qualified name of this class or interface element. More precisely, it returns the canonical name. For local, and anonymous classes, which do not have canonical names, an empty name is returned.The name of a generic class or interface does not include any reference to its formal type parameters. For example, the fully qualified name of the interface
java.util.Set<E>
is "java.util.Set
". Nested classes and interfaces use ".
" as a separator, as in "java.util.Map.Entry
".- Specified by:
getQualifiedName
in interfaceQualifiedNameable
- Returns:
- the fully qualified name of this class or interface, or an empty name if none
- See Java Language Specification:
-
6.7 Fully Qualified Names and Canonical Names
- See Also:
-
getSimpleName
Name getSimpleName()Returns the simple name of this class or interface element. For an anonymous class, an empty name is returned.- Specified by:
getSimpleName
in interfaceElement
- Returns:
- the simple name of this class or interface, an empty name for an anonymous class
- See Also:
-
getSuperclass
TypeMirror getSuperclass()Returns the direct superclass of this class or interface element. If this class or interface element represents an interface or the classjava.lang.Object
, then aNoType
with kindNONE
is returned.- Returns:
- the direct superclass, or a
NoType
if there is none
-
getInterfaces
List<? extends TypeMirror> getInterfaces()Returns the interface types directly implemented by this class or extended by this interface.- Returns:
- the interface types directly implemented by this class or extended by this interface, or an empty list if there are none
-
getTypeParameters
List<? extends TypeParameterElement> getTypeParameters()Returns the formal type parameters of this class or interface element in declaration order.- Specified by:
getTypeParameters
in interfaceParameterizable
- Returns:
- the formal type parameters, or an empty list if there are none
-
getRecordComponents
Returns the record components of this class or interface element in declaration order.- Implementation Requirements:
- The default implementations of this method returns an empty and unmodifiable list.
- Returns:
- the record components, or an empty list if there are none
- Since:
- 16
-
getPermittedSubclasses
Returns the permitted classes of this class or interface element in declaration order. Note that for an interface, permitted subclasses and subinterfaces can be returned.- Implementation Requirements:
- The default implementations of this method returns an empty and unmodifiable list.
- Returns:
- the permitted classes, or an empty list if there are none
- See Java Language Specification:
-
8.1.6 Permitted Direct Subclasses
9.1.4 Permitted Direct Subclasses and Subinterfaces - Since:
- 17
-
getEnclosingElement
Element getEnclosingElement()Returns the package of a top-level class or interface and returns the immediately lexically enclosing element for a nested class or interface.- Specified by:
getEnclosingElement
in interfaceElement
- Returns:
- the package of a top-level class or interface, the immediately lexically enclosing element for a nested class or interface
- See Also:
-