Runtime annotation checks via reflection

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Java’s Reflection API allows the programmer to perform various checks and operations on class fields, methods and annotations during runtime. However, in order for an annotation to be at all visible at runtime, the RetentionPolicy must be changed to RUNTIME, as demonstrated in the example below:

@interface MyDefaultAnnotation {

}

@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@interface MyRuntimeVisibleAnnotation {

}

public class AnnotationAtRuntimeTest {

    @MyDefaultAnnotation
    static class RuntimeCheck1 {
    }
    
    @MyRuntimeVisibleAnnotation
    static class RuntimeCheck2 {
    }
    
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Annotation[] annotationsByType = RuntimeCheck1.class.getAnnotations();
        Annotation[] annotationsByType2 = RuntimeCheck2.class.getAnnotations();

        System.out.println("default retention: " + Arrays.toString(annotationsByType));
        System.out.println("runtime retention: " + Arrays.toString(annotationsByType2));
    }
}

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