/*
 * @(#)Inherited.java	1.4 04/02/03
 *
 * Copyright 2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
 * SUN PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
 */

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.
 *
 * <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
 */
@Documented
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)
public @interface Inherited {
}