Javadoc

Javadoc (also capitalized as JavaDoc or javadoc) is an <a href="/facts/Application_programming_interface/GMlN4vUr">API</a> <a href="/facts/Documentation_generator/YA1UJ8ts">documentation generator</a> for the <a href="/facts/Java_(programming_language)/9ScgFyAL">Java programming language</a>. Based on information in Java <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a>, Javadoc generates documentation formatted as <a href="/facts/HTML/sSc3fT78">HTML</a> and via <a href="/facts/Plug-in_(computing)/351Du3Wu">extensions</a>, other formats. Javadoc was created by <a href="/facts/Sun_Microsystems/VJ9EzEFd">Sun Microsystems</a> and is owned by <a href="/facts/Oracle_Corporation/0z14FygH">Oracle</a> today.
The content and formatting of a resulting document are controlled via special <a href="/facts/Markup_language/WwhlNVIu">markup</a> in source code <a href="/facts/Comment_(computer_programming)/Q8hHFq8h">comments</a>. As this markup is <a href="/facts/De_facto_standard/TRELHVwI">de facto standard</a> and ubiquitous for documenting Java code, many <a href="/facts/Integrated_Development_Environment/jbEINSQf">IDEs</a> extract and display the Javadoc information while viewing the source code; often via hover over an associated symbol. Some IDEs, like <a href="/facts/IntelliJ_IDEA/h689XrQz">IntelliJ IDEA</a>, <a href="/facts/NetBeans/9kqvIVFG">NetBeans</a> and <a href="/facts/Eclipse_(software)/YoqHVjas">Eclipse</a>, support generating Javadoc template comment blocks. The @tag syntax of Javadoc markup has been re-used by other documentation generators, including <a href="/facts/Doxygen/Uw1w2lNh">Doxygen</a>, <a href="/facts/JSDoc/ck0zsoIk">JSDoc</a>, <a href="https://www.erlang.org/doc/apps/edoc/chapter.html">EDoc</a> and <a href="/facts/HeaderDoc/8Aph26bB">HeaderDoc</a>.
Javadoc supports extension via <a href="/facts/Doclets/WGx1CBpu">doclets</a> and taglets, which allow for generating different output formats and for <a href="/facts/Static_analysis/YkJEVPxs">static analysis</a> of a <a href="/facts/Codebase/MT0CJ4oD">codebase</a>. For example, <a href="/facts/JDiff/amQq94Ga">JDiff</a> reports changes between two versions of an API.
Although some criticize Javadoc and API document generators in general, one motivation for creating Javadoc was that more traditional (less automated) API documentation is often out-of-date or does not exist due to business constraints such as limited availability of <a href="/facts/API_writer/WU7NW5Pg">technical writers</a>. 
Javadoc has been part of Java since its first release, and is often updated with each release of the <a href="/facts/Java_Development_Kit/qL5cDos6">Java Development Kit</a>. 
Javadoc and the source code comments used by Javadoc, do not affect the performance of a Java executable since comments are ignored by the compiler.

Javadoc open-in-new

Javadoc