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26 package java.lang.annotation;
29 * Indicates that an annotation type is automatically inherited. If
30 * an Inherited meta-annotation is present on an annotation type
31 * declaration, and the user queries the annotation type on a class
32 * declaration, and the class declaration has no annotation for this type,
33 * then the class's superclass will automatically be queried for the
34 * annotation type. This process will be repeated until an annotation for this
35 * type is found, or the top of the class hierarchy (Object)
36 * is reached. If no superclass has an annotation for this type, then
37 * the query will indicate that the class in question has no such annotation.
39 * <p>Note that this meta-annotation type has no effect if the annotated
40 * type is used to annotate anything other than a class. Note also
41 * that this meta-annotation only causes annotations to be inherited
42 * from superclasses; annotations on implemented interfaces have no
45 * @author Joshua Bloch
49 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
50 @Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)
51 public @interface Inherited {