/*

 * Copyright (c) 2003, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.

 *

 * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it

 * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as

 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this

 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided

 * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.

 *

 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT

 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or

 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License

 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that

 * accompanied this code).

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version

 * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,

 * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.

 *

 * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA

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 */

package java.lang.annotation;

/**

 * Indicates the kinds of program element to which an annotation type

 * is applicable.  If a Target meta-annotation is not present on an

 * annotation type declaration, the declared type may be used on any

 * program element.  If such a meta-annotation is present, the compiler

 * will enforce the specified usage restriction.

 *

 * For example, this meta-annotation indicates that the declared type is

 * itself a meta-annotation type.  It can only be used on annotation type

 * declarations:

 * <pre>

 *    @Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)

 *    public @interface MetaAnnotationType {

 *        ...

 *    }

 * </pre>

 * This meta-annotation indicates that the declared type is intended solely

 * for use as a member type in complex annotation type declarations.  It

 * cannot be used to annotate anything directly:

 * <pre>

 *    @Target({})

 *    public @interface MemberType {

 *        ...

 *    }

 * </pre>

 * It is a compile-time error for a single ElementType constant to

 * appear more than once in a Target annotation.  For example, the

 * following meta-annotation is illegal:

 * <pre>

 *    @Target({ElementType.FIELD, ElementType.METHOD, ElementType.FIELD})

 *    public @interface Bogus {

 *        ...

 *    }

 * </pre>

 *

 * @since 1.5

 * @jls 9.6.3.1 @Target

 */

@Documented

@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)

@Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)

public @interface Target {

    /**

     * Returns an array of the kinds of elements an annotation type

     * can be applied to.

     * @return an array of the kinds of elements an annotation type

     * can be applied to

     */

    ElementType[] value();

}