1 /*
   2  * Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, Oracle and/or its affiliates. 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.  Oracle designates this
   8  * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
   9  * by Oracle 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 Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
  22  * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
  23  * questions.
  24  */
  25 
  26 package java.lang.annotation;
  27 
  28 /**
  29  * Indicates that an annotation type is automatically inherited.  If
  30  * an Inherited meta-annotation is present on an annotation type
  31  * declaration, and the user queries the annotation type on a class
  32  * declaration, and the class declaration has no annotation for this type,
  33  * then the class's superclass will automatically be queried for the
  34  * annotation type.  This process will be repeated until an annotation for this
  35  * type is found, or the top of the class hierarchy (Object)
  36  * is reached.  If no superclass has an annotation for this type, then
  37  * the query will indicate that the class in question has no such annotation.
  38  *
  39  * <p>Note that this meta-annotation type has no effect if the annotated
  40  * type is used to annotate anything other than a class.  Note also
  41  * that this meta-annotation only causes annotations to be inherited
  42  * from superclasses; annotations on implemented interfaces have no
  43  * effect.
  44  *
  45  * @author  Joshua Bloch
  46  * @since 1.5
  47  */
  48 @Documented
  49 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
  50 @Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)
  51 public @interface Inherited {
  52 }