java.lang.reflect
Reflection is the ability of a program to analyze itself. 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 27.
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.
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