RetentionPolicy

public final enum RetentionPolicy
extends Enum<RetentionPolicy>

java.lang.Object
↳	java.lang.Enum<java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy>
	↳	java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy

Annotation retention policy. The constants of this enumerated class describe the various policies for retaining annotations. They are used in conjunction with the Retention meta-annotation interface to specify how long annotations are to be retained.

Summary

Enum values
`RetentionPolicy`	`CLASS` Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler but need not be retained by the VM at run time.
`RetentionPolicy`	`RUNTIME` Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler and retained by the VM at run time, so they may be read reflectively.
`RetentionPolicy`	`SOURCE` Annotations are to be discarded by the compiler.

Public methods
`static RetentionPolicy`	`valueOf(String name)`
`static final RetentionPolicy[]`	`values()`

Inherited methods

From class


        
          java.lang.Enum

`final Object`	`clone()` Throws CloneNotSupportedException.
`final int`	`compareTo(E o)` Compares this enum with the specified object for order.
`final boolean`	`equals(Object other)` Returns true if the specified object is equal to this enum constant.
`final void`	`finalize()` enum classes cannot have finalize methods.
`final Class<E>`	`getDeclaringClass()` Returns the Class object corresponding to this enum constant's enum type.
`final int`	`hashCode()` Returns a hash code for this enum constant.
`final String`	`name()` Returns the name of this enum constant, exactly as declared in its enum declaration.
`final int`	`ordinal()` Returns the ordinal of this enumeration constant (its position in its enum declaration, where the initial constant is assigned an ordinal of zero).
`String`	`toString()` Returns the name of this enum constant, as contained in the declaration.
`static <T extends Enum<T>> T`	`valueOf(Class<T> enumClass, String name)` Returns the enum constant of the specified enum class with the specified name.

From class


        
          java.lang.Object

`Object`	`clone()` Creates and returns a copy of this object.
`boolean`	`equals(Object obj)` Indicates whether some other object is "equal to" this one.
`void`	`finalize()` Called by the garbage collector on an object when garbage collection determines that there are no more references to the object.
`final Class<?>`	`getClass()` Returns the runtime class of this `Object`.
`int`	`hashCode()` Returns a hash code value for the object.
`final void`	`notify()` Wakes up a single thread that is waiting on this object's monitor.
`final void`	`notifyAll()` Wakes up all threads that are waiting on this object's monitor.
`String`	`toString()` Returns a string representation of the object.
`final void`	`wait(long timeoutMillis, int nanos)` Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted, or until a certain amount of real time has elapsed.
`final void`	`wait(long timeoutMillis)` Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted, or until a certain amount of real time has elapsed.
`final void`	`wait()` Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted.

From interface


        
          java.lang.Comparable


      compareTo(E o)

Compares this object with the specified object for order.

Enum values

CLASS

Added in API level 1

public static final RetentionPolicy CLASS

Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler but need not be retained by the VM at run time. This is the default behavior.

RUNTIME

Added in API level 1

public static final RetentionPolicy RUNTIME

Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler and retained by the VM at run time, so they may be read reflectively.

See also:

AnnotatedElement

SOURCE

Added in API level 1

public static final RetentionPolicy SOURCE

Annotations are to be discarded by the compiler.

Public methods

valueOf

public static RetentionPolicy valueOf (String name)

Parameters
`name`	`String`

Returns
`RetentionPolicy`

values

public static final RetentionPolicy[] values ()

Returns
`RetentionPolicy[]`