Method (Java Platform SE 8 )

java.lang.Object
- java.lang.reflect.AccessibleObject
- - java.lang.reflect.Executable
  - - java.lang.reflect.Method

All Implemented Interfaces:

AnnotatedElement, GenericDeclaration, Member
```
public final class Method
extends Executable
```
A Method provides information about, and access to, a single method on a class or interface. The reflected method may be a class method or an instance method (including an abstract method).
A Method permits widening conversions to occur when matching the actual parameters to invoke with the underlying method's formal parameters, but it throws an IllegalArgumentException if a narrowing conversion would occur.

See Also:

Member, Class, Class.getMethods(), Class.getMethod(String, Class[]), Class.getDeclaredMethods(), Class.getDeclaredMethod(String, Class[])

Field Summary
- Fields inherited from interface java.lang.reflect.Member
  DECLARED, PUBLIC

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`boolean`	`equals(Object obj)` Compares this `Method` against the specified object.
`AnnotatedType`	`getAnnotatedReturnType()` Returns an `AnnotatedType` object that represents the use of a type to specify the return type of the method/constructor represented by this Executable.
`<T extends Annotation> T`	`getAnnotation(Class<T> annotationClass)` Returns this element's annotation for the specified type if such an annotation is present, else null.
`Annotation[]`	`getDeclaredAnnotations()` Returns annotations that are directly present on this element.
`Class<?>`	`getDeclaringClass()` Returns the `Class` object representing the class or interface that declares the executable represented by this object.
`Object`	`getDefaultValue()` Returns the default value for the annotation member represented by this `Method` instance.
`Class<?>[]`	`getExceptionTypes()` Returns an array of `Class` objects that represent the types of exceptions declared to be thrown by the underlying executable represented by this object.
`Type[]`	`getGenericExceptionTypes()` Returns an array of `Type` objects that represent the exceptions declared to be thrown by this executable object.
`Type[]`	`getGenericParameterTypes()` Returns an array of `Type` objects that represent the formal parameter types, in declaration order, of the executable represented by this object.
`Type`	`getGenericReturnType()` Returns a `Type` object that represents the formal return type of the method represented by this `Method` object.
`int`	`getModifiers()` Returns the Java language modifiers for the executable represented by this object.
`String`	`getName()` Returns the name of the method represented by this `Method` object, as a `String`.
`Annotation[][]`	`getParameterAnnotations()` Returns an array of arrays of `Annotation`s that represent the annotations on the formal parameters, in declaration order, of the `Executable` represented by this object.
`int`	`getParameterCount()` Returns the number of formal parameters (whether explicitly declared or implicitly declared or neither) for the executable represented by this object.
`Class<?>[]`	`getParameterTypes()` Returns an array of `Class` objects that represent the formal parameter types, in declaration order, of the executable represented by this object.
`Class<?>`	`getReturnType()` Returns a `Class` object that represents the formal return type of the method represented by this `Method` object.
`TypeVariable<Method>[]`	`getTypeParameters()` Returns an array of `TypeVariable` objects that represent the type variables declared by the generic declaration represented by this `GenericDeclaration` object, in declaration order.
`int`	`hashCode()` Returns a hashcode for this `Method`.
`Object`	`invoke(Object obj, Object... args)` Invokes the underlying method represented by this `Method` object, on the specified object with the specified parameters.
`boolean`	`isBridge()` Returns `true` if this method is a bridge method; returns `false` otherwise.
`boolean`	`isDefault()` Returns `true` if this method is a default method; returns `false` otherwise.
`boolean`	`isSynthetic()` Returns `true` if this executable is a synthetic construct; returns `false` otherwise.
`boolean`	`isVarArgs()` Returns `true` if this executable was declared to take a variable number of arguments; returns `false` otherwise.
`String`	`toGenericString()` Returns a string describing this `Method`, including type parameters.
`String`	`toString()` Returns a string describing this `Method`.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.reflect.Executable
getAnnotatedExceptionTypes, getAnnotatedParameterTypes, getAnnotatedReceiverType, getAnnotationsByType, getParameters

Methods inherited from class java.lang.reflect.AccessibleObject
getAnnotations, getDeclaredAnnotation, getDeclaredAnnotationsByType, isAccessible, isAnnotationPresent, setAccessible, setAccessible

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

Methods inherited from interface java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElement
getAnnotations, getDeclaredAnnotation, getDeclaredAnnotationsByType, isAnnotationPresent

- Method Detail
  - getDeclaringClass
```
public Class<?> getDeclaringClass()
```
    Returns the Class object representing the class or interface that declares the executable represented by this object.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getDeclaringClass in interface Member
    
    Specified by:
    
    getDeclaringClass in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    an object representing the declaring class of the underlying member
  - getName
```
public String getName()
```
    Returns the name of the method represented by this Method object, as a String.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getName in interface Member
    
    Specified by:
    
    getName in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    the simple name of the underlying member
  - getModifiers
```
public int getModifiers()
```
    Returns the Java language modifiers for the executable represented by this object.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getModifiers in interface Member
    
    Specified by:
    
    getModifiers in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    the Java language modifiers for the underlying member
    
    See Also:
    
    Modifier
  - getTypeParameters
```
public TypeVariable<Method>[] getTypeParameters()
```
    Returns an array of TypeVariable objects that represent the type variables declared by the generic declaration represented by this GenericDeclaration object, in declaration order. Returns an array of length 0 if the underlying generic declaration declares no type variables.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getTypeParameters in interface GenericDeclaration
    
    Specified by:
    
    getTypeParameters in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    an array of TypeVariable objects that represent the type variables declared by this generic declaration
    
    Throws:
    
    GenericSignatureFormatError - if the generic signature of this generic declaration does not conform to the format specified in The Java™ Virtual Machine Specification
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - getReturnType
```
public Class<?> getReturnType()
```
    Returns a Class object that represents the formal return type of the method represented by this Method object.
    
    Returns:
    
    the return type for the method this object represents
  - getGenericReturnType
```
public Type getGenericReturnType()
```
    Returns a Type object that represents the formal return type of the method represented by this Method object.
    If the return type is a parameterized type, the Type object returned must accurately reflect the actual type parameters used in the source code.
    If the return type is a type variable or a parameterized type, it is created. Otherwise, it is resolved.
    
    Returns:
    
    a Type object that represents the formal return type of the underlying method
    
    Throws:
    
    GenericSignatureFormatError - if the generic method signature does not conform to the format specified in The Java™ Virtual Machine Specification
    
    TypeNotPresentException - if the underlying method's return type refers to a non-existent type declaration
    
    MalformedParameterizedTypeException - if the underlying method's return typed refers to a parameterized type that cannot be instantiated for any reason
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - getParameterTypes
```
public Class<?>[] getParameterTypes()
```
    Returns an array of Class objects that represent the formal parameter types, in declaration order, of the executable represented by this object. Returns an array of length 0 if the underlying executable takes no parameters.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getParameterTypes in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    the parameter types for the executable this object represents
  - getParameterCount
```
public int getParameterCount()
```
    Returns the number of formal parameters (whether explicitly declared or implicitly declared or neither) for the executable represented by this object.
    
    Overrides:
    
    getParameterCount in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    The number of formal parameters for the executable this object represents
    
    Since:
    
    1.8
  - getGenericParameterTypes
```
public Type[] getGenericParameterTypes()
```
    Returns an array of Type objects that represent the formal parameter types, in declaration order, of the executable represented by this object. Returns an array of length 0 if the underlying executable takes no parameters.
    If a formal parameter type is a parameterized type, the Type object returned for it must accurately reflect the actual type parameters used in the source code.
    If a formal parameter type is a type variable or a parameterized type, it is created. Otherwise, it is resolved.
    
    Overrides:
    
    getGenericParameterTypes in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    an array of Types that represent the formal parameter types of the underlying executable, in declaration order
    
    Throws:
    
    GenericSignatureFormatError - if the generic method signature does not conform to the format specified in The Java™ Virtual Machine Specification
    
    TypeNotPresentException - if any of the parameter types of the underlying executable refers to a non-existent type declaration
    
    MalformedParameterizedTypeException - if any of the underlying executable's parameter types refer to a parameterized type that cannot be instantiated for any reason
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - getExceptionTypes
```
public Class<?>[] getExceptionTypes()
```
    Returns an array of Class objects that represent the types of exceptions declared to be thrown by the underlying executable represented by this object. Returns an array of length 0 if the executable declares no exceptions in its throws clause.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getExceptionTypes in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    the exception types declared as being thrown by the executable this object represents
  - getGenericExceptionTypes
```
public Type[] getGenericExceptionTypes()
```
    Returns an array of Type objects that represent the exceptions declared to be thrown by this executable object. Returns an array of length 0 if the underlying executable declares no exceptions in its throws clause.
    If an exception type is a type variable or a parameterized type, it is created. Otherwise, it is resolved.
    
    Overrides:
    
    getGenericExceptionTypes in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    an array of Types that represent the exception types thrown by the underlying executable
    
    Throws:
    
    GenericSignatureFormatError - if the generic method signature does not conform to the format specified in The Java™ Virtual Machine Specification
    
    TypeNotPresentException - if the underlying executable's throws clause refers to a non-existent type declaration
    
    MalformedParameterizedTypeException - if the underlying executable's throws clause refers to a parameterized type that cannot be instantiated for any reason
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - equals
```
public boolean equals(Object obj)
```
    Compares this Method against the specified object. Returns true if the objects are the same. Two Methods are the same if they were declared by the same class and have the same name and formal parameter types and return type.
    
    Overrides:
    
    equals in class Object
    
    Parameters:
    
    obj - the reference object with which to compare.
    
    Returns:
    
    true if this object is the same as the obj argument; false otherwise.
    
    See Also:
    
    Object.hashCode(), HashMap
  - hashCode
```
public int hashCode()
```
    Returns a hashcode for this Method. The hashcode is computed as the exclusive-or of the hashcodes for the underlying method's declaring class name and the method's name.
    
    Overrides:
    
    hashCode in class Object
    
    Returns:
    
    a hash code value for this object.
    
    See Also:
    
    Object.equals(java.lang.Object), System.identityHashCode(java.lang.Object)
  - toString
```
public String toString()
```
    Returns a string describing this Method. The string is formatted as the method access modifiers, if any, followed by the method return type, followed by a space, followed by the class declaring the method, followed by a period, followed by the method name, followed by a parenthesized, comma-separated list of the method's formal parameter types. If the method throws checked exceptions, the parameter list is followed by a space, followed by the word throws followed by a comma-separated list of the thrown exception types. For example:
```
    public boolean java.lang.Object.equals(java.lang.Object)
 
```
    The access modifiers are placed in canonical order as specified by "The Java Language Specification". This is public, protected or private first, and then other modifiers in the following order: abstract, default, static, final, synchronized, native, strictfp.
    Overrides:
    
    toString in class Object
    
    Returns:
    
    a string describing this Method
    
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    8.4.3 Method Modifiers
  - toGenericString
```
public String toGenericString()
```
    Returns a string describing this Method, including type parameters. The string is formatted as the method access modifiers, if any, followed by an angle-bracketed comma-separated list of the method's type parameters, if any, followed by the method's generic return type, followed by a space, followed by the class declaring the method, followed by a period, followed by the method name, followed by a parenthesized, comma-separated list of the method's generic formal parameter types. If this method was declared to take a variable number of arguments, instead of denoting the last parameter as "Type[]", it is denoted as "Type...". A space is used to separate access modifiers from one another and from the type parameters or return type. If there are no type parameters, the type parameter list is elided; if the type parameter list is present, a space separates the list from the class name. If the method is declared to throw exceptions, the parameter list is followed by a space, followed by the word throws followed by a comma-separated list of the generic thrown exception types.
    The access modifiers are placed in canonical order as specified by "The Java Language Specification". This is public, protected or private first, and then other modifiers in the following order: abstract, default, static, final, synchronized, native, strictfp.
    
    Specified by:
    
    toGenericString in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    a string describing this Method, include type parameters
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
    
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    8.4.3 Method Modifiers
  - invoke
```
public Object invoke(Object obj,
                     Object... args)
              throws IllegalAccessException,
                     IllegalArgumentException,
                     InvocationTargetException
```
    Invokes the underlying method represented by this Method object, on the specified object with the specified parameters. Individual parameters are automatically unwrapped to match primitive formal parameters, and both primitive and reference parameters are subject to method invocation conversions as necessary.
    If the underlying method is static, then the specified obj argument is ignored. It may be null.
    If the number of formal parameters required by the underlying method is 0, the supplied args array may be of length 0 or null.
    If the underlying method is an instance method, it is invoked using dynamic method lookup as documented in The Java Language Specification, Second Edition, section 15.12.4.4; in particular, overriding based on the runtime type of the target object will occur.
    If the underlying method is static, the class that declared the method is initialized if it has not already been initialized.
    If the method completes normally, the value it returns is returned to the caller of invoke; if the value has a primitive type, it is first appropriately wrapped in an object. However, if the value has the type of an array of a primitive type, the elements of the array are not wrapped in objects; in other words, an array of primitive type is returned. If the underlying method return type is void, the invocation returns null.
    
    Parameters:
    
    obj - the object the underlying method is invoked from
    
    args - the arguments used for the method call
    
    Returns:
    
    the result of dispatching the method represented by this object on obj with parameters args
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalAccessException - if this Method object is enforcing Java language access control and the underlying method is inaccessible.
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if the method is an instance method and the specified object argument is not an instance of the class or interface declaring the underlying method (or of a subclass or implementor thereof); if the number of actual and formal parameters differ; if an unwrapping conversion for primitive arguments fails; or if, after possible unwrapping, a parameter value cannot be converted to the corresponding formal parameter type by a method invocation conversion.
    
    InvocationTargetException - if the underlying method throws an exception.
    
    NullPointerException - if the specified object is null and the method is an instance method.
    
    ExceptionInInitializerError - if the initialization provoked by this method fails.
  - isBridge
```
public boolean isBridge()
```
    Returns true if this method is a bridge method; returns false otherwise.
    
    Returns:
    
    true if and only if this method is a bridge method as defined by the Java Language Specification.
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - isVarArgs
```
public boolean isVarArgs()
```
    Returns true if this executable was declared to take a variable number of arguments; returns false otherwise.
    
    Overrides:
    
    isVarArgs in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    true if an only if this executable was declared to take a variable number of arguments.
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - isSynthetic
```
public boolean isSynthetic()
```
    Returns true if this executable is a synthetic construct; returns false otherwise.
    
    Specified by:
    
    isSynthetic in interface Member
    
    Overrides:
    
    isSynthetic in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    true if and only if this executable is a synthetic construct as defined by The Java™ Language Specification.
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
    
    See The Java™ Language Specification:
    
    13.1 The Form of a Binary
  - isDefault
```
public boolean isDefault()
```
    Returns true if this method is a default method; returns false otherwise. A default method is a public non-abstract instance method, that is, a non-static method with a body, declared in an interface type.
    
    Returns:
    
    true if and only if this method is a default method as defined by the Java Language Specification.
    
    Since:
    
    1.8
  - getDefaultValue
```
public Object getDefaultValue()
```
    Returns the default value for the annotation member represented by this Method instance. If the member is of a primitive type, an instance of the corresponding wrapper type is returned. Returns null if no default is associated with the member, or if the method instance does not represent a declared member of an annotation type.
    
    Returns:
    
    the default value for the annotation member represented by this Method instance.
    
    Throws:
    
    TypeNotPresentException - if the annotation is of type Class and no definition can be found for the default class value.
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - getAnnotation
```
public <T extends Annotation> T getAnnotation(Class<T> annotationClass)
```
    Returns this element's annotation for the specified type if such an annotation is present, else null.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getAnnotation in interface AnnotatedElement
    
    Overrides:
    
    getAnnotation in class Executable
    
    Type Parameters:
    
    T - the type of the annotation to query for and return if present
    
    Parameters:
    
    annotationClass - the Class object corresponding to the annotation type
    
    Returns:
    
    this element's annotation for the specified annotation type if present on this element, else null
    
    Throws:
    
    NullPointerException - if the given annotation class is null
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - getDeclaredAnnotations
```
public Annotation[] getDeclaredAnnotations()
```
    Returns annotations that are directly present on this element. This method ignores inherited annotations. If there are no annotations directly present on this element, the return value is an array of length 0. The caller of this method is free to modify the returned array; it will have no effect on the arrays returned to other callers.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getDeclaredAnnotations in interface AnnotatedElement
    
    Overrides:
    
    getDeclaredAnnotations in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    annotations directly present on this element
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
  - getParameterAnnotations
```
public Annotation[][] getParameterAnnotations()
```
    Returns an array of arrays of Annotations that represent the annotations on the formal parameters, in declaration order, of the Executable represented by this object. Synthetic and mandated parameters (see explanation below), such as the outer "this" parameter to an inner class constructor will be represented in the returned array. If the executable has no parameters (meaning no formal, no synthetic, and no mandated parameters), a zero-length array will be returned. If the Executable has one or more parameters, a nested array of length zero is returned for each parameter with no annotations. The annotation objects contained in the returned arrays are serializable. The caller of this method is free to modify the returned arrays; it will have no effect on the arrays returned to other callers. A compiler may add extra parameters that are implicitly declared in source ("mandated"), as well as parameters that are neither implicitly nor explicitly declared in source ("synthetic") to the parameter list for a method. See Parameter for more information.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getParameterAnnotations in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    an array of arrays that represent the annotations on the formal and implicit parameters, in declaration order, of the executable represented by this object
    
    Since:
    
    1.5
    
    See Also:
    
    Parameter, Parameter.getAnnotations()
  - getAnnotatedReturnType
```
public AnnotatedType getAnnotatedReturnType()
```
    Returns an AnnotatedType object that represents the use of a type to specify the return type of the method/constructor represented by this Executable. If this Executable object represents a constructor, the AnnotatedType object represents the type of the constructed object. If this Executable object represents a method, the AnnotatedType object represents the use of a type to specify the return type of the method.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getAnnotatedReturnType in class Executable
    
    Returns:
    
    an object representing the return type of the method or constructor represented by this Executable
    
    Since:
    
    1.8

Submit a bug or feature
For further API reference and developer documentation, see Java SE Documentation. That documentation contains more detailed, developer-targeted descriptions, with conceptual overviews, definitions of terms, workarounds, and working code examples.
Copyright © 1993, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms. Also see the documentation redistribution policy.

Class Method

Field Summary

Fields inherited from interface java.lang.reflect.Member

Method Summary

Methods inherited from class java.lang.reflect.Executable

Methods inherited from class java.lang.reflect.AccessibleObject

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

Methods inherited from interface java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElement

Method Detail

getDeclaringClass

getName

getModifiers

getTypeParameters

getReturnType

getGenericReturnType

getParameterTypes

getParameterCount

getGenericParameterTypes

getExceptionTypes

getGenericExceptionTypes

equals

hashCode

toString

toGenericString

invoke

isBridge

isVarArgs

isSynthetic

isDefault

getDefaultValue

getAnnotation

getDeclaredAnnotations

getParameterAnnotations

getAnnotatedReturnType