The java.lang Subpackages

The java.lang Subpackages

Java defines several subpackages of java.lang:

        java.lang.annotation

        java.lang.instrument

        java.lang.management

        java.lang.ref

        java.lang.reflect

Each is briefly described here.

java.lang.annotation

Java’s annotation facility is supported by java.lang.annotation. It defines the Annotation interface, the ElementType and RetentionPolicy enumerations, and several predefined annotations. Annotations are described in Chapter 12.

java.lang.instrument

java.lang.instrument defines features that can be used to add instrumentation to various aspects of program execution. It defines the Instrumentation and ClassFileTransformer interfaces, and the ClassDefinition class.

java.lang.invoke

java.lang.invoke supports dynamic languages. It includes classes such as CallSite,

MethodHandle, and MethodType.

java.lang.management

The java.lang.management package provides management support for the JVM and the execution environment. Using the features in java.lang.management, you can observe and manage various aspects of program execution.

java.lang.ref

You learned earlier that the garbage collection facilities in Java automatically determine when no references exist to an object. The object is then assumed to be no longer needed and its memory is reclaimed. The classes in the java.lang.ref package provide more flexible control over the garbage collection process.

java.lang.reflect

Reflection is the ability of a program to analyze code at run time. The java.lang.reflect package provides the ability to obtain information about the fields, constructors, methods, and modifiers of a class. Among other reasons, you need this information to build software tools that enable you to work with Java Beans components. The tools use reflection to determine dynamically the characteristics of a component. Reflection was introduced in Chapter 12 and is also examined in Chapter 30.

java.lang.reflect defines several classes, including Method, Field, and Constructor. It also defines several interfaces, including AnnotatedElement, Member, and Type. In addition, the java.lang.reflect package includes the Array class that enables you to create and access arrays dynamically.