1 /*
   2  * Copyright 2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
   3  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
   4  *
   5  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
   6  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
   7  * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Sun designates this
   8  * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
   9  * by Sun in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
  10  *
  11  * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
  12  * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
  13  * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
  14  * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
  15  * accompanied this code).
  16  *
  17  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
  18  * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
  19  * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
  20  *
  21  * Please contact Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara,
  22  * CA 95054 USA or visit www.sun.com if you need additional information or
  23  * have any questions.
  24  */
  25 
  26 package com.sun.mirror.apt;
  27 
  28 
  29 import java.io.IOException;
  30 import java.util.Collection;
  31 
  32 
  33 /**
  34  * An annotation processor, used to examine and process the
  35  * annotations of program elements.  An annotation processor may,
  36  * for example, create new source files and XML documents to be used
  37  * in conjunction with the original code.
  38  *
  39  * <p> An annotation processor is constructed by a
  40  * {@linkplain AnnotationProcessorFactory factory}, which provides it with an
  41  * {@linkplain AnnotationProcessorEnvironment environment} that
  42  * encapsulates the state it needs.
  43  * Messages regarding warnings and errors encountered during processing
  44  * should be directed to the environment's {@link Messager},
  45  * and new files may be created using the environment's {@link Filer}.
  46  *
  47  * <p> Each annotation processor is created to process annotations
  48  * of a particular annotation type or set of annotation types.
  49  * It may use its environment to find the program elements with
  50  * annotations of those types.  It may freely examine any other program
  51  * elements in the course of its processing.
  52  *
  53  * @author Joseph D. Darcy
  54  * @author Scott Seligman
  55  * @since 1.5
  56  */
  57 
  58 public interface AnnotationProcessor {
  59 
  60     /**
  61      * Process all program elements supported by this annotation processor.
  62      */
  63     void process();
  64 }