Package org.eclipse.jdt.core.dom

Interface IBinding

All Known Subinterfaces:
IAnnotationBinding, IMemberValuePairBinding, IMethodBinding, IModuleBinding, IPackageBinding, ITypeBinding, IVariableBinding
public interface IBinding
A binding represents a named entity in the Java language. The world of bindings provides an integrated picture of the structure of the program as seen from the compiler's point of view. This interface declares protocols common to the various different kinds of named entities in the Java language: packages, types, fields, methods, constructors, local variables, and annotations.
Since:
2.0
See Also:
Restriction:
This interface is not intended to be implemented by clients.

  • Field Summary

    Fields
    Modifier and Type
    Field
    Description
    static final int
    ANNOTATION
    Kind constant (value 5) indicating an annotation binding.
    static final int
    MEMBER_VALUE_PAIR
    Kind constant (value 6) indicating a member value pair binding.
    static final int
    METHOD
    Kind constant (value 4) indicating a method or constructor binding.
    static final int
    MODULE
    Kind constant (value 7) indicating a module binding (added in JLS9 API).
    static final int
    PACKAGE
    Kind constant (value 1) indicating a package binding.
    static final int
    TYPE
    Kind constant (value 2) indicating a type binding.
    static final int
    VARIABLE
    Kind constant (value 3) indicating a field or local variable binding.

  • Method Summary

    Modifier and Type
    Method
    Description
    boolean
    equals(Object obj)
    There is no special definition of equality for bindings; equality is simply object identity.
    IAnnotationBinding[]
    getAnnotations()
    Returns the resolved declaration annotations associated with this binding.
    IJavaElement
    getJavaElement()
    Returns the Java element that corresponds to this binding.
    String
    getKey()
    Returns the key for this binding.
    int
    getKind()
    Returns the kind of bindings this is.
    int
    getModifiers()
    Returns the modifiers for this binding.
    String
    getName()
    Returns the name of this binding.
    boolean
    isDeprecated()
    Return whether this binding is for something that is deprecated.
    boolean
    isEqualTo(IBinding binding)
    Returns whether this binding has the same key as that of the given binding.
    boolean
    isRecovered()
    Return whether this binding is created because the bindings recovery is enabled.
    boolean
    isSynthetic()
    Returns whether this binding is synthetic.
    String
    toString()
    Returns a string representation of this binding suitable for debugging purposes only.

  • Field Details

  • Method Details

    • getAnnotations

      IAnnotationBinding[] getAnnotations()
      Returns the resolved declaration annotations associated with this binding.
      • Package bindings - these are annotations on a package declaration.
      • Type bindings - these are annotations on a class, interface, enum, or annotation type declaration. The result is the same regardless of whether the type is parameterized.
      • Method bindings - these are annotations on a method or constructor declaration. The result is the same regardless of whether the method is parameterized.
      • Variable bindings - these are annotations on a field, enum constant, or formal parameter declaration.
      • Annotation bindings - an empty array is always returned
      • Member value pair bindings - an empty array is always returned

      Note: This method only returns declaration annotations. Type annotations in the sense of JLS8 9.7.4 are not returned. Type annotations can be retrieved via ITypeBinding.getTypeAnnotations().

      Returns:
      the list of resolved declaration annotations, or the empty list if there are no declaration annotations associated with the entity represented by this binding
      Since:
      3.2

    • getKind

      int getKind()
      Returns the kind of bindings this is. That is one of the kind constants: PACKAGE, TYPE, VARIABLE, METHOD, ANNOTATION, MEMBER_VALUE_PAIR, or MODULE.

      Note that additional kinds might be added in the future, so clients should not assume this list is exhaustive and should program defensively, e.g. by having a reasonable default in a switch statement.

      Returns:
      one of the kind constants

    • getName

      String getName()
      Returns the name of this binding. Details of the name are specified with each specific kind of binding.
      Returns:
      the name of this binding

    • getModifiers

      int getModifiers()
      Returns the modifiers for this binding.

      Note that 'deprecated' is not included among the modifiers. Use isDeprecated to find out whether a binding is deprecated.

      Returns:
      the bit-wise or of Modifier constants
      See Also:

    • isDeprecated

      boolean isDeprecated()
      Return whether this binding is for something that is deprecated. A deprecated class, interface, field, method, or constructor is one that is marked with the 'deprecated' tag in its Javadoc comment.
      Returns:
      true if this binding is deprecated, and false otherwise

    • isRecovered

      boolean isRecovered()
      Return whether this binding is created because the bindings recovery is enabled. This binding is considered to be incomplete. Its internal state might be incomplete.
      Returns:
      true if this binding is a recovered binding, and false otherwise
      Since:
      3.3

    • isSynthetic

      boolean isSynthetic()
      Returns whether this binding is synthetic. A synthetic binding is one that was made up by the compiler, rather than something declared in the source code. Note that default constructors (the 0-argument constructor that the compiler generates for class declarations with no explicit constructors declarations) are not generally considered synthetic (although they may be if the class itself is synthetic). But see IMethodBinding.isDefaultConstructor for cases where the compiled-generated default constructor can be recognized instead.
      Returns:
      true if this binding is synthetic, and false otherwise
      See Also:

    • getJavaElement

      IJavaElement getJavaElement()
      Returns the Java element that corresponds to this binding. Returns null if this binding has no corresponding Java element.

      For array types, this method returns the Java element that corresponds to the array's element type. For raw and parameterized types, this method returns the Java element of the erasure. For annotations, this method returns the Java element of the annotation (i.e. an IAnnotation).

      Here are the cases where a null should be expected:

      • primitive types, including void
      • null type
      • wildcard types
      • capture types
      • array types of any of the above
      • the "length" field of an array type
      • the default constructor of a source class
      • the constructor of an anonymous class
      • member value pairs
      • synthetic bindings
      • problem package bindings (since Java 9)

      For all other kind of type, method, variable, annotation and package bindings, this method returns non-null.

      Returns:
      the Java element that corresponds to this binding, or null if none
      Since:
      3.1

    • getKey

      String getKey()
      Returns the key for this binding.

      Within a single cluster of bindings (produced by the same call to an ASTParser#create*(*) method)), each binding has a distinct key. The keys are generated in a manner that is predictable and as stable as possible. This last property makes these keys useful for comparing bindings between different clusters of bindings (for example, the bindings between the "before" and "after" ASTs of the same compilation unit).

      The exact details of how the keys are generated is unspecified. However, it is a function of the following information:

      • packages - the name of the package (for an unnamed package, some internal id)
      • classes or interfaces - the VM name of the type and the key of its package
      • array types - the key of the component type and number of dimensions
      • primitive types - the name of the primitive type
      • fields - the name of the field and the key of its declaring type
      • methods - the name of the method, the key of its declaring type, and the keys of the parameter types
      • constructors - the key of its declaring class, and the keys of the parameter types
      • local variables - the name of the local variable, the index of the declaring block relative to its parent, the key of its method
      • local types - the name of the type, the index of the declaring block relative to its parent, the key of its method
      • anonymous types - the occurrence count of the anonymous type relative to its declaring type, the key of its declaring type
      • enum types - treated like classes
      • annotation types - treated like interfaces
      • type variables - the name of the type variable and the key of the generic type or generic method that declares that type variable
      • wildcard types - the key of the optional wildcard type bound
      • capture type bindings - the key of the wildcard captured
      • generic type instances - the key of the generic type and the keys of the type arguments used to instantiate it, and whether the instance is explicit (a parameterized type reference) or implicit (a raw type reference)
      • generic method instances - the key of the generic method and the keys of the type arguments used to instantiate it, and whether the instance is explicit (a parameterized method reference) or implicit (a raw method reference)
      • members of generic type instances - the key of the generic type instance and the key of the corresponding member in the generic type
      • annotations - the key of the annotated element and the key of the annotation type

      The key for a type binding does not contain type annotations, so type bindings with different type annotations may have the same key (iff they denote the same un-annotated type). By construction, this also applies to method bindings if their declaring types contain type annotations.

      Note that the key for member value pair bindings is not yet implemented. This method returns null for that kind of bindings.
      Recovered bindings have a unique key.

      Returns:
      the key for this binding

    • equals

      boolean equals(Object obj)
      There is no special definition of equality for bindings; equality is simply object identity. Within the context of a single cluster of bindings (produced by the same call to an ASTParser#create*(*) method), each binding is represented by a separate object. However, between different clusters of bindings, the binding objects may or may not be different; in these cases, the client should compare bindings using isEqualTo(IBinding), which is functionally equivalent to checking their keys for equality.

      Since JLS8, type bindings can contain type annotations. Note that type bindings that denote the same un-annotated type have the same key, but they are not identical if they contain different type annotations. Type bindings that contain the same type annotations may or may not be identical.

      Overrides:
      equals in class Object
      Parameters:
      obj -
      Returns:
      See Also:

    • isEqualTo

      boolean isEqualTo(IBinding binding)
      Returns whether this binding has the same key as that of the given binding. Within the context of a single cluster of bindings (produced by the same call to an ASTParser#create*(*) method), each binding is represented by a distinct object. However, between different clusters of bindings, the binding objects may or may not be different objects; in these cases, the binding keys are used where available.

      Note that type bindings that only differ in their type annotations have the same key, and hence this method returns true for such type bindings. By construction of the key, this also applies to method bindings if their declaring types contain type annotations.

      Parameters:
      binding - the other binding, or null
      Returns:
      true if the given binding is the identical object as this binding, or if the keys of both bindings are the same string; false if the given binding is null, or if the bindings do not have the same key, or if one or both of the bindings have no key
      Since:
      3.1
      See Also:

    • toString

      String toString()
      Returns a string representation of this binding suitable for debugging purposes only.
      Overrides:
      toString in class Object
      Returns:
      a debug string