TypeElement (Java Platform SE 7 b138)

All Superinterfaces:

Element, Parameterizable, QualifiedNameable
```
public interface TypeElement
extends Element, Parameterizable, QualifiedNameable
```
Represents a class or interface program element. Provides access to information about the type and its members. Note that an enum type is a kind of class and an annotation type is a kind of interface.
While a TypeElement represents a class or interface element, a DeclaredType represents a class or interface type, the latter being a use (or invocation) of the former. The distinction is most apparent with generic types, for which a single element can define a whole family of types. For example, the element java.util.Set corresponds to the parameterized types java.util.Set<String> and java.util.Set<Number> (and many others), and to the raw type java.util.Set.
Each method of this interface that returns a list of elements will return them in the order that is natural for the underlying source of program information. For example, if the underlying source of information is Java source code, then the elements will be returned in source code order.

Since:

1.6

See Also:
DeclaredType

Method Summary

Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`List<? extends Element>`	`getEnclosedElements()` Returns the elements that are, loosely speaking, directly enclosed by this element.
`Element`	`getEnclosingElement()` Returns the package of a top-level type and returns the immediately lexically enclosing element for a nested type.
`List<? extends TypeMirror>`	`getInterfaces()` Returns the interface types directly implemented by this class or extended by this interface.
`NestingKind`	`getNestingKind()` Returns the nesting kind of this type element.
`Name`	`getQualifiedName()` Returns the fully qualified name of this type element.
`Name`	`getSimpleName()` Returns the simple name of this type element.
`TypeMirror`	`getSuperclass()` Returns the direct superclass of this type element.
`List<? extends TypeParameterElement>`	`getTypeParameters()` Returns the formal type parameters of this type element in declaration order.

Methods inherited from interface javax.lang.model.element.Element
accept, asType, equals, getAnnotation, getAnnotationMirrors, getKind, getModifiers, hashCode

- Method Detail
  - getEnclosedElements
```
List<? extends Element> getEnclosedElements()
```
    Returns the elements that are, loosely speaking, directly enclosed by this element. A class or interface is considered to enclose the fields, methods, constructors, and member types that it directly declares. This includes any (implicit) default constructor and the implicit values and valueOf methods of an enum type. A package encloses the top-level classes and interfaces within it, but is not considered to enclose subpackages. Other kinds of elements are not currently considered to enclose any elements; however, that may change as this API or the programming language evolves.
    Note that elements of certain kinds can be isolated using methods in ElementFilter.
    Note that as a particular instance of the general accuracy requirements and the ordering behavior required of this interface, the list of enclosed elements will be returned in the natural order for the originating source of information about the type. For example, if the information about the type is originating from a source file, the elements will be returned in source code order. (However, in that case the the ordering of synthesized elements, such as a default constructor, is not specified.)
    
    Specified by:
    
    getEnclosedElements in interface Element
    
    Returns:
    the enclosed elements in proper order, or an empty list if none
    See Also:
    Elements.getAllMembers(javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement)
  - getNestingKind
```
NestingKind getNestingKind()
```
    Returns the nesting kind of this type element.
    
    Returns:
    the nesting kind of this type element
  - getQualifiedName
```
Name getQualifiedName()
```
    Returns the fully qualified name of this type element. More precisely, it returns the canonical name. For local and anonymous classes, which do not have canonical names, an empty name is returned.
    The name of a generic type does not include any reference to its formal type parameters. For example, the fully qualified name of the interface java.util.Set<E> is "java.util.Set". Nested types use "." as a separator, as in "java.util.Map.Entry".
    
    Specified by:
    
    getQualifiedName in interface QualifiedNameable
    
    Returns:
    the fully qualified name of this class or interface, or an empty name if none
    See Also:
    Elements.getBinaryName(javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement)
    See The Java Language Specification, Third Edition:
    
    6.7 Fully Qualified Names and Canonical Names
  - getSimpleName
```
Name getSimpleName()
```
    Returns the simple name of this type element. For an anonymous class, an empty name is returned.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getSimpleName in interface Element
    
    Returns:
    the simple name of this class or interface, an empty name for an anonymous class
  - getSuperclass
```
TypeMirror getSuperclass()
```
    Returns the direct superclass of this type element. If this type element represents an interface or the class java.lang.Object, then a NoType with kind NONE is returned.
    
    Returns:
    the direct superclass, or a NoType if there is none
  - getInterfaces
```
List<? extends TypeMirror> getInterfaces()
```
    Returns the interface types directly implemented by this class or extended by this interface.
    
    Returns:
    the interface types directly implemented by this class or extended by this interface, or an empty list if there are none
  - getTypeParameters
```
List<? extends TypeParameterElement> getTypeParameters()
```
    Returns the formal type parameters of this type element in declaration order.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getTypeParameters in interface Parameterizable
    
    Returns:
    the formal type parameters, or an empty list if there are none
  - getEnclosingElement
```
Element getEnclosingElement()
```
    Returns the package of a top-level type and returns the immediately lexically enclosing element for a nested type.
    
    Specified by:
    
    getEnclosingElement in interface Element
    
    Returns:
    the package of a top-level type, the immediately lexically enclosing element for a nested type
    See Also:
    Elements.getPackageOf(javax.lang.model.element.Element)

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DRAFT ea-b138

Interface TypeElement

Method Summary

Methods inherited from interface javax.lang.model.element.Element

Method Detail

getEnclosedElements

getNestingKind

getQualifiedName

getSimpleName

getSuperclass

getInterfaces

getTypeParameters

getEnclosingElement