ClassDoc (Doclet API )
Keywords: com.sun.javadoc.ClassDoc interface
Date: 2026-03-29

com.sun.javadoc

## Interface ClassDoc

- All Superinterfaces:
    Comparable<Object>, Doc, ProgramElementDoc, Type
  All Known Subinterfaces:
    AnnotationTypeDoc

      public interface ClassDoc
      extends ProgramElementDoc, Type

  Represents a java class or interface and provides access to information about the class, the class's comment and tags, and the members of the class. A ClassDoc only exists if it was processed in this run of javadoc. References to classes which may or may not have been processed in this run are referred to using Type (which can be converted to ClassDoc, if possible).
  Since:
    1.2
  See Also:
    `Type`

- - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Deprecated Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `ConstructorDoc[]` | `constructors()` Return included constructors in this class.
    `ConstructorDoc[]` | `constructors(boolean filter)` Return constructors in this class, filtered to the specified access modifier option.
    `boolean` | `definesSerializableFields()` Return true if Serializable fields are explicitly defined with the special class member `serialPersistentFields`.
    `FieldDoc[]` | `enumConstants()` Return the enum constants if this is an enum type.
    `FieldDoc[]` | `fields()` Return included fields in this class or interface.
    `FieldDoc[]` | `fields(boolean filter)` Return fields in this class or interface, filtered to the specified access modifier option.
    `ClassDoc` | `findClass(String className)` Find the specified class or interface within the context of this class doc.
    `ClassDoc[]` | `importedClasses()` Deprecated. Import declarations are implementation details that should not be exposed here. In addition, not all imported classes are imported through single-type-import declarations.
    `PackageDoc[]` | `importedPackages()` Deprecated. Import declarations are implementation details that should not be exposed here. In addition, this method's return type does not allow for all type-import-on-demand declarations to be returned.
    `ClassDoc[]` | `innerClasses()` Return included nested classes and interfaces within this class or interface.
    `ClassDoc[]` | `innerClasses(boolean filter)` Return nested classes and interfaces within this class or interface filtered to the specified access modifier option.
    `ClassDoc[]` | `interfaces()` Return interfaces implemented by this class or interfaces extended by this interface.
    `Type[]` | `interfaceTypes()` Return interfaces implemented by this class or interfaces extended by this interface.
    `boolean` | `isAbstract()` Return true if this class is abstract.
    `boolean` | `isExternalizable()` Return true if this class implements or interface extends `java.io.Externalizable`.
    `boolean` | `isSerializable()` Return true if this class implements or interface extends `java.io.Serializable`.
    `MethodDoc[]` | `methods()` Return included methods in this class or interface.
    `MethodDoc[]` | `methods(boolean filter)` Return methods in this class or interface, filtered to the specified access modifier option.
    `FieldDoc[]` | `serializableFields()` Return the Serializable fields of this class or interface.
    `MethodDoc[]` | `serializationMethods()` Return the serialization methods for this class or interface.
    `boolean` | `subclassOf(ClassDoc cd)` Test whether this class is a subclass of the specified class.
    `ClassDoc` | `superclass()` Return the superclass of this class.
    `Type` | `superclassType()` Return the superclass of this class.
    `TypeVariable[]` | `typeParameters()` Return the formal type parameters of this class or interface.
    `ParamTag[]` | `typeParamTags()` Return the type parameter tags of this class or interface.

    - ### Methods inherited from interface com.sun.javadoc.ProgramElementDoc

      `annotations, containingClass, containingPackage, isFinal, isPackagePrivate, isPrivate, isProtected, isPublic, isStatic, modifiers, modifierSpecifier, qualifiedName`

    - ### Methods inherited from interface com.sun.javadoc.Doc

      `commentText, compareTo, firstSentenceTags, getRawCommentText, inlineTags, isAnnotationType, isAnnotationTypeElement, isClass, isConstructor, isEnum, isEnumConstant, isError, isException, isField, isIncluded, isInterface, isMethod, isOrdinaryClass, name, position, seeTags, setRawCommentText, tags, tags`

    - ### Methods inherited from interface com.sun.javadoc.Type

      `asAnnotatedType, asAnnotationTypeDoc, asClassDoc, asParameterizedType, asTypeVariable, asWildcardType, dimension, getElementType, isPrimitive, qualifiedTypeName, simpleTypeName, toString, typeName`

- - ### Method Detail

    - #### isAbstract

          boolean isAbstract()

      Return true if this class is abstract. Return true for all interfaces.

    - #### isSerializable

          boolean isSerializable()

      Return true if this class implements or interface extends `java.io.Serializable`. Since `java.io.Externalizable` extends `java.io.Serializable`, Externalizable objects are also Serializable.

    - #### isExternalizable

          boolean isExternalizable()

      Return true if this class implements or interface extends `java.io.Externalizable`.

    - #### serializationMethods

          MethodDoc[] serializationMethods()

      Return the serialization methods for this class or interface.
      Returns:
        an array of MethodDoc objects that represents the serialization methods for this class or interface.

    - #### serializableFields

          FieldDoc[] serializableFields()

      Return the Serializable fields of this class or interface.

      Return either a list of default fields documented by `serial` tag
      or return a single `FieldDoc` for `serialPersistentField` member. There should be a `serialField` tag for each Serializable field defined by an `ObjectStreamField` array component of `serialPersistentField`.

      Returns:
        an array of `FieldDoc` objects for the Serializable fields of this class or interface.
      See Also:
        `definesSerializableFields()`, `SerialFieldTag`

    - #### definesSerializableFields

          boolean definesSerializableFields()

      Return true if Serializable fields are explicitly defined with the special class member `serialPersistentFields`.
      See Also:
        `serializableFields()`, `SerialFieldTag`

    - #### superclass

          ClassDoc superclass()

      Return the superclass of this class. Return null if this is an interface.

      This method cannot accommodate certain generic type constructs. The `superclassType` method should be used instead.

      Returns:
        the ClassDoc for the superclass of this class, null if there is no superclass.
      See Also:
        `superclassType()`

    - #### superclassType

          Type superclassType()

      Return the superclass of this class. Return null if this is an interface. A superclass is represented by either a `ClassDoc` or a `ParametrizedType`.
      Returns:
        the superclass of this class, or null if there is no superclass.
      Since:
        1.5

    - #### subclassOf

          boolean subclassOf(ClassDoc cd)

      Test whether this class is a subclass of the specified class. If this is an interface, return false for all classes except `java.lang.Object` (we must keep this unexpected behavior for compatibility reasons).
      Parameters:
        `cd` - the candidate superclass.
      Returns:
        true if cd is a superclass of this class.

    - #### interfaces

          ClassDoc[] interfaces()

      Return interfaces implemented by this class or interfaces extended by this interface. Includes only directly-declared interfaces, not inherited interfaces. Return an empty array if there are no interfaces.

      This method cannot accommodate certain generic type constructs. The `interfaceTypes` method should be used instead.

      Returns:
        an array of ClassDoc objects representing the interfaces.
      See Also:
        `interfaceTypes()`

    - #### interfaceTypes

          Type[] interfaceTypes()

      Return interfaces implemented by this class or interfaces extended by this interface. Includes only directly-declared interfaces, not inherited interfaces. Return an empty array if there are no interfaces.
      Returns:
        an array of interfaces, each represented by a `ClassDoc` or a `ParametrizedType`.
      Since:
        1.5

    - #### typeParameters

          TypeVariable[] typeParameters()

      Return the formal type parameters of this class or interface. Return an empty array if there are none.
      Returns:
        the formal type parameters of this class or interface.
      Since:
        1.5

    - #### typeParamTags

          ParamTag[] typeParamTags()

      Return the type parameter tags of this class or interface. Return an empty array if there are none.
      Returns:
        the type parameter tags of this class or interface.
      Since:
        1.5

    - #### fields

          FieldDoc[] fields()

      Return included fields in this class or interface. Excludes enum constants if this is an enum type.
      Returns:
        an array of FieldDoc objects representing the included fields in this class or interface.

    - #### fields

          FieldDoc[] fields(boolean filter)

      Return fields in this class or interface, filtered to the specified access modifier option. Excludes enum constants if this is an enum type.
      Parameters:
        `filter` - Specify true to filter according to the specified access modifier option. Specify false to include all fields regardless of access modifier option.
      Returns:
        an array of FieldDoc objects representing the included fields in this class or interface.

    - #### enumConstants

          FieldDoc[] enumConstants()

      Return the enum constants if this is an enum type. Return an empty array if there are no enum constants, or if this is not an enum type.
      Returns:
        the enum constants if this is an enum type.

    - #### methods

          MethodDoc[] methods()

      Return included methods in this class or interface. Same as `methods(true)`.
      Returns:
        an array of MethodDoc objects representing the included methods in this class or interface. Does not include constructors or annotation type elements.

    - #### methods

          MethodDoc[] methods(boolean filter)

      Return methods in this class or interface, filtered to the specified access modifier option. Does not include constructors or annotation type elements.
      Parameters:
        `filter` - Specify true to filter according to the specified access modifier option. Specify false to include all methods regardless of access modifier option.
      Returns:
        an array of MethodDoc objects representing the included methods in this class or interface.

    - #### constructors

          ConstructorDoc[] constructors()

      Return included constructors in this class. An array containing the default no-arg constructor is returned if no other constructors exist. Return empty array if this is an interface.
      Returns:
        an array of ConstructorDoc objects representing the included constructors in this class.

    - #### constructors

          ConstructorDoc[] constructors(boolean filter)

      Return constructors in this class, filtered to the specified access modifier option. Return an array containing the default no-arg constructor if no other constructors exist.
      Parameters:
        `filter` - Specify true to filter according to the specified access modifier option. Specify false to include all constructors regardless of access modifier option.
      Returns:
        an array of ConstructorDoc objects representing the included constructors in this class.

    - #### innerClasses

          ClassDoc[] innerClasses()

      Return included nested classes and interfaces within this class or interface. This includes both static and non-static nested classes. (This method should have been named `nestedClasses()`, as inner classes are technically non-static.) Anonymous and local classes or interfaces are not included.
      Returns:
        an array of ClassDoc objects representing the included classes and interfaces defined in this class or interface.

    - #### innerClasses

          ClassDoc[] innerClasses(boolean filter)

      Return nested classes and interfaces within this class or interface filtered to the specified access modifier option. This includes both static and non-static nested classes. Anonymous and local classes are not included.
      Parameters:
        `filter` - Specify true to filter according to the specified access modifier option. Specify false to include all nested classes regardless of access modifier option.
      Returns:
        a filtered array of ClassDoc objects representing the included classes and interfaces defined in this class or interface.

    - #### findClass

          ClassDoc findClass(String className)

      Find the specified class or interface within the context of this class doc. Search order: 1) qualified name, 2) nested in this class or interface, 3) in this package, 4) in the class imports, 5) in the package imports. Return the ClassDoc if found, null if not found.

    - #### importedClasses

          @Deprecated
          ClassDoc[] importedClasses()

      Deprecated. Import declarations are implementation details that should not be exposed here. In addition, not all imported classes are imported through single-type-import declarations.
      Get the list of classes and interfaces declared as imported. These are called "single-type-import declarations" in The Java™ Language Specification.
      Returns:
        an array of ClassDoc representing the imported classes.

    - #### importedPackages

          @Deprecated
          PackageDoc[] importedPackages()

      Deprecated. Import declarations are implementation details that should not be exposed here. In addition, this method's return type does not allow for all type-import-on-demand declarations to be returned.
      Get the list of packages declared as imported. These are called "type-import-on-demand declarations" in The Java™ Language Specification.
      Returns:
        an array of PackageDoc representing the imported packages.

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