1. /*

  2.  * @(#)AnnotationProcessor.java	1.2 04/02/10

  3.  *

  4.  * Copyright 2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All rights reserved.

  5.  * SUN PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL.  Use is subject to license terms.

  6.  */

  7. 

  8. package com.sun.mirror.apt;

  9. 

  10. 

  11. import java.io.IOException;

  12. import java.util.Collection;

  13. 

  14. 

  15. /**

  16.  * An annotation processor, used to examine and process the

  17.  * annotations of program elements.  An annotation processor may,

  18.  * for example, create new source files and XML documents to be used

  19.  * in conjunction with the original code.

  20.  *

  21.  * <p> An annotation processor is constructed by a

  22.  * {@linkplain AnnotationProcessorFactory factory}, which provides it with an

  23.  * {@linkplain AnnotationProcessorEnvironment environment} that

  24.  * encapsulates the state it needs.

  25.  * Messages regarding warnings and errors encountered during processing

  26.  * should be directed to the environment's {@link Messager},

  27.  * and new files may be created using the environment's {@link Filer}.

  28.  *

  29.  * <p> Each annotation processor is created to process annotations

  30.  * of a particular annotation type or set of annotation types.

  31.  * It may use its environment to find the program elements with

  32.  * annotations of those types.  It may freely examine any other program

  33.  * elements in the course of its processing.

  34.  *

  35.  * @author Joseph D. Darcy

  36.  * @author Scott Seligman

  37.  * @version 1.2 04/02/10

  38.  * @since 1.5

  39.  */

  40. 

  41. public interface AnnotationProcessor {

  42. 

  43.     /**

  44.      * Process all program elements supported by this annotation processor.

  45.      */

  46.     void process();

  47. }