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# Annotation Processing Tool (apt)

> `apt` is a command-line utility for annotation processing. It includes a set of reflective APIs and supporting infrastructure to process program annotations (JSR 175). These reflective APIs provide a build-time, source-based, read-only view of program structure. They are designed to cleanly model the JavaTM programming language's type system after the addition of generics (JSR 14).

> `apt` first runs annotation processors that can produce new source code and other files. Next, `apt` can cause compilation of both original and generated source files, thus easing the development cycle.

> JSR 269, also known as the Language Model API, has two basic pieces: an API that models the Java programming language, and an API for writing annotation processors. This functionality is accessed through new options to the javac command; by including JSR 269 support, javac now acts analogously to the apt command in JDK 5.

API Specification

- Mirror API
- javax.annotation.processing
- javax.lang.model
- javax.lang.model.element
- javax.lang.model.type
- javax.lang.model.util

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