7. Annotations and Reflection API
Annotations and the Reflection API are pivotal features in Java that enhance the flexibility and dynamic capabilities of applications. Annotations serve as metadata, providing developers the ability to add information to code elements that can be utilized by compilers or through reflection at runtime. The Reflection API allows for runtime inspection and manipulation of classes, methods, and fields, making it ideal for various tasks like serialization and dynamic processing.
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What we have learnt
- Annotations provide metadata about code that can affect its behavior during compile-time and runtime.
- The Reflection API allows for the inspection and manipulation of class structure and its members at runtime.
- Both features are widely used in modern frameworks like Spring and JUnit, supporting dynamic application designs.
Key Concepts
- -- Annotations
- Metadata that provides information about the code but does not alter its execution.
- -- Reflection API
- A set of APIs in Java that allows for introspection and manipulation of classes and objects at runtime.
- -- MetaAnnotations
- Annotations that apply to other annotations, such as @Retention and @Target.
- -- Custom Annotations
- User-defined annotations that can be created to meet specific application needs.
- -- Performance Overhead
- The potential decrease in performance associated with using reflection, as it is generally slower than direct method calls.
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