Java Documentation (Javadoc) Best Practices
- Public and protected members should be documented with Javadoc comments.
- It is encouraged to document package-private and private members as well, especially if they are complex or not self-explanatory.
- The first sentence of the Javadoc comment is the summary description. It should be a concise overview of what the method does and end with a period.
- Use
@paramfor method parameters. The description starts with a lowercase letter and does not end with a period. - Use
@returnfor method return values. - Use
@throwsor@exceptionto document exceptions thrown by methods. - Use
@seefor references to other types or members. - Use
{@inheritDoc}to inherit documentation from base classes or interfaces. - Unless there is major behavior change, in which case you should document the differences.
- Use
@param <T>for type parameters in generic types or methods. - Use
{@code}for inline code snippets. - Use
<pre>{@code ... }</pre>for code blocks. - Use
@sinceto indicate when the feature was introduced (e.g., version number). - Use
@versionto specify the version of the member. - Use
@authorto specify the author of the code. - Use
@deprecatedto mark a member as deprecated and provide an alternative.
