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 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
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package com.oracle.svm.core.annotate;

import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

Mechanism for referring to fields and methods otherwise inaccessible due to Java language access
control rules. This enables VM code to directly access a private field or invoke a private method
in a JDK class without using reflection. Aliases avoid the boxing/unboxing required by reflection
and they type check an aliased field access or method invocation statically.
 The idiom for using Alias is somewhat related to the Substitute annotation, but reversed; both are often used in combination. In both cases a separate class is used to declare the aliased or substituted methods. In the substitution case occurrences of this actually refer to the instance of the class being substituted. In the aliased case we pretend that the class declaring the aliased method is an instance of the aliasee in order to access its fields or invoke its methods. 
 The element can also be annotated with TargetElement to specify additional properties. See TargetClass for an overview of the annotation system. 

When aliasing *non-static* inner classes the constructors are passed a hidden argument which is
the outer class. When writing an @Alias for a constructor of a *non-static* inner classes, you
have to (a) explicitly declare that parameter, and (b) supply it in the calls.
/**
 * Mechanism for referring to fields and methods otherwise inaccessible due to Java language access
 * control rules. This enables VM code to directly access a private field or invoke a private method
 * in a JDK class without using reflection. Aliases avoid the boxing/unboxing required by reflection
 * and they type check an aliased field access or method invocation statically.
 * <p>
 * The idiom for using {@link Alias} is somewhat related to the {@link Substitute} annotation, but
 * reversed; both are often used in combination. In both cases a separate class is used to declare
 * the aliased or substituted methods. In the substitution case occurrences of {@code this} actually
 * refer to the instance of the class being substituted. In the aliased case we pretend that the
 * class declaring the aliased method is an instance of the aliasee in order to access its fields or
 * invoke its methods.
 * <p>
 * The element can also be annotated with {@link TargetElement} to specify additional properties.
 * See {@link TargetClass} for an overview of the annotation system.
 * <p>
 * When aliasing *non-static* inner classes the constructors are passed a hidden argument which is
 * the outer class. When writing an @Alias for a constructor of a *non-static* inner classes, you
 * have to (a) explicitly declare that parameter, and (b) supply it in the calls.
 */
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@Target({ElementType.METHOD, ElementType.CONSTRUCTOR, ElementType.FIELD})
public @interface Alias {
}