java - Method annotation inheritance -

so, problem following, i'm using annotations tag methods of class.

my main annotation @action , need stronger annotation specific methods @specificaction.

all methods annotated @specificaction must annotated @action. idea have @specificaction annotated @action.

@action [other irrelevant annotations] public @interface specificaction{} 

with

@specificaction public void specificmethod(){} 

i expect specificmethod.isannotationpresent(action.class) true, isn't.

how make @action annotation "inherited"?

as @assylias's link says, annotations can't inherited, can use composition, , search recursively target annotation this:

public static class annotationutil {      private static <t extends annotation> boolean containsannotation(class<? extends annotation> annotation, class<t> annotationtypetarget, set<class<? extends annotation>> revised) {         boolean result = !revised.contains(annotation);         if (result && annotationtypetarget != annotation) {             set<class<? extends annotation>> nextrevised = new hashset<>(revised);             nextrevised.add(annotation);             result = arrays.stream(annotation.getannotations()).anymatch(a -> containsannotation(a.annotationtype(), annotationtypetarget, nextrevised));         }         return result;     }      public static <t extends annotation> boolean containsannotation(class<? extends annotation> annotation, class<t> annotationtypetarget) {         return containsannotation(annotation, annotationtypetarget, collections.emptyset());     }      public static <t extends annotation> map<class<? extends annotation>, ? extends annotation> getannotations(method method, class<t> annotationtypetarget) {         return arrays.stream(method.getannotations()).filter(a -> containsannotation(a.annotationtype(), annotationtypetarget)).collect(collectors.tomap(a -> a.annotationtype(), function.identity()));     } } 

if have:

@retention(retentionpolicy.runtime) @interface action { }  @action @retention(retentionpolicy.runtime) @interface specificaction { }  @action @retention(retentionpolicy.runtime) @interface particularaction { }  public class foo{     @specificaction     @particularaction     public void specificmethod() {          // ...     } } 

you can use this: annotationutil.getannotations(specificmethod, action.class); , this'll return map: {interface foo.particularaction=@foo.particularaction(), interface foo.specificaction=@foo.specificaction()}