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 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
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 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
 * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
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 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
 * accompanied this code).
 *
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 * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
 * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
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package java.lang.annotation;

Indicates that an annotation type is automatically inherited.  If
an Inherited meta-annotation is present on an annotation type
declaration, and the user queries the annotation type on a class
declaration, and the class declaration has no annotation for this type,
then the class's superclass will automatically be queried for the
annotation type.  This process will be repeated until an annotation for this
type is found, or the top of the class hierarchy (Object)
is reached.  If no superclass has an annotation for this type, then
the query will indicate that the class in question has no such annotation.
Note that this meta-annotation type has no effect if the annotated
type is used to annotate anything other than a class.  Note also
that this meta-annotation only causes annotations to be inherited
from superclasses; annotations on implemented interfaces have no
effect.
Author:
 Joshua Bloch
Since:
1.5
@jls
9.6.4.3 @Inherited/**
 * Indicates that an annotation type is automatically inherited.  If
 * an Inherited meta-annotation is present on an annotation type
 * declaration, and the user queries the annotation type on a class
 * declaration, and the class declaration has no annotation for this type,
 * then the class's superclass will automatically be queried for the
 * annotation type.  This process will be repeated until an annotation for this
 * type is found, or the top of the class hierarchy (Object)
 * is reached.  If no superclass has an annotation for this type, then
 * the query will indicate that the class in question has no such annotation.
 *
 * <p>Note that this meta-annotation type has no effect if the annotated
 * type is used to annotate anything other than a class.  Note also
 * that this meta-annotation only causes annotations to be inherited
 * from superclasses; annotations on implemented interfaces have no
 * effect.
 *
 * @author  Joshua Bloch
 * @since 1.5
 * @jls 9.6.4.3 @Inherited
 */
@Documented
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)
public @interface Inherited {
}