How Exactly Does @param Work - Java

Question

How does the annotation @param work?

If I had something like this:

/*  *@param testNumber; */  int testNumber = 5; if (testNumber < 6) {    //Something } 

How would the @param affect the testNumber? Does it even affect the testNumber?

Thanks. Let me know if I used it wrong.

Answer 1

@param is a special format comment used by javadoc to generate documentation. it is used to denote a description of the parameter (or parameters) a method can receive. there's also @return and @see used to describe return values and related information, respectively:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/index-137868.html#format

has, among other things, this:

/**  * Returns an Image object that can then be painted on the screen.   * The url argument must specify an absolute {@link URL}. The name  * argument is a specifier that is relative to the url argument.   * <p>  * This method always returns immediately, whether or not the   * image exists. When this applet attempts to draw the image on  * the screen, the data will be loaded. The graphics primitives   * that draw the image will incrementally paint on the screen.   *  * @param  url  an absolute URL giving the base location of the image  * @param  name the location of the image, relative to the url argument  * @return      the image at the specified URL  * @see         Image  */  public Image getImage(URL url, String name) { 

Answer 2

@param won't affect the number. It's just for making javadocs.

More on javadoc: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/index-137868.html