Module java.compiler
Package javax.annotation.processing

Interface ProcessingEnvironment

public interface ProcessingEnvironment
An annotation processing tool framework will provide an annotation processor with an object implementing this interface so the processor can use facilities provided by the framework to write new files, report error messages, and find other utilities.

Third parties may wish to provide value-add wrappers around the facility objects from this interface, for example a Filer extension that allows multiple processors to coordinate writing out a single source file. To enable this, for processors running in a context where their side effects via the API could be visible to each other, the tool infrastructure must provide corresponding facility objects that are .equals, Filers that are .equals, and so on. In addition, the tool invocation must be able to be configured such that from the perspective of the running annotation processors, at least the chosen subset of helper classes are viewed as being loaded by the same class loader. (Since the facility objects manage shared state, the implementation of a wrapper class must know whether or not the same base facility object has been wrapped before.)

Since:
1.6

  • Method Summary

    Modifier and Type
    Method
    Description
    Elements
    getElementUtils()
    Returns an implementation of some utility methods for operating on elements.
    Filer
    getFiler()
    Returns the filer used to create new source, class, or auxiliary files.
    Locale
    getLocale()
    Returns the current locale or null if no locale is in effect.
    Messager
    getMessager()
    Returns the messager used to report errors, warnings, and other notices.
    Map<String,String>
    getOptions()
    Returns the processor-specific options passed to the annotation processing tool.
    SourceVersion
    getSourceVersion()
    Returns the source version that any generated source and class files should conform to.
    Types
    getTypeUtils()
    Returns an implementation of some utility methods for operating on types.
    default boolean
    isPreviewEnabled()
    Returns true if preview features are enabled and false otherwise.

  • Method Details

    • getOptions

      Map<String,String> getOptions()
      Returns the processor-specific options passed to the annotation processing tool. Options are returned in the form of a map from option name to option value. For an option with no value, the corresponding value in the map is null.

      See documentation of the particular tool infrastructure being used for details on how to pass in processor-specific options. For example, a command-line implementation may distinguish processor-specific options by prefixing them with a known string like "-A"; other tool implementations may follow different conventions or provide alternative mechanisms. A given implementation may also provide implementation-specific ways of finding options passed to the tool in addition to the processor-specific options.

      Returns:
      the processor-specific options passed to the annotation processing tool

    • getMessager

      Messager getMessager()
      Returns the messager used to report errors, warnings, and other notices.
      Returns:
      the messager used to report errors, warnings, and other notices

    • getFiler

      Filer getFiler()
      Returns the filer used to create new source, class, or auxiliary files.
      Returns:
      the filer used to create new source, class, or auxiliary files

    • getElementUtils

      Elements getElementUtils()
      Returns an implementation of some utility methods for operating on elements.
      Returns:
      an implementation of some utility methods for operating on elements

    • getTypeUtils

      Types getTypeUtils()
      Returns an implementation of some utility methods for operating on types.
      Returns:
      an implementation of some utility methods for operating on types

    • getSourceVersion

      SourceVersion getSourceVersion()
      Returns the source version that any generated source and class files should conform to.
      Returns:
      the source version that any generated source and class files should conform to
      See Also:

    • getLocale

      Locale getLocale()
      Returns the current locale or null if no locale is in effect. The locale can be used to provide localized messages.
      Returns:
      the current locale or null if no locale is in effect

    • isPreviewEnabled

      default boolean isPreviewEnabled()
      Returns true if preview features are enabled and false otherwise.
      Implementation Requirements:
      The default implementation of this method returns false.
      Returns:
      whether or not preview features are enabled
      Since:
      13