[SOLVED] Iterate through values in @IntDef, @StringDef or any @Def class

Iterate through values in @IntDef, @StringDef or any @Def class

Consider this class:

public class MyClassOfMystery {

    public static final int NO_FLAGS = ~0;
    public static final int FIRST_FLAG = 1;
    public static final int SECOND_FLAG = 1 << 1;
    public static final int THIRD_FLAG = 1 << 2;
    public static final int FOURTH_FLAG = 1 << 3;

    @Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE)
    @IntDef(flag = true, value = {NO_FLAGS, FIRST_FLAG, SECOND_FLAG, THIRD_FLAG, FOURTH_FLAG})
    public @interface MysteryFlags { }

   ... set flags, get flags, and use flags stuff.
}

I have often created something like this, and found that it would be useful to be able to iterate through all flags available in MysteryFlags.

Can I iterate through my values set in MysteryFlags?

This is what I have tried:

This printed ANNOTATION: @java.lang.annotation.Retention(value=SOURCE):

for (Annotation annotation : Flag.class.getAnnotations()) {
   Log.d(TAG, String.format("ANNOTATION: %s", String.valueOf(annotation)));
}

This threw NPE on a null Array access

for (ExtraAction enm : Flag.class.getEnumConstants()) {
   Log.d(TAG, String.format("ENUM: %s", String.valueOf(enm)));
}

These did not print anything out:

for (Field field : Flag.class.getFields()) {
   Log.d(TAG, String.format("FIELD: %s", String.valueOf(field)));
}

and

for (Class<?> aClass : ExtraAction.class.getClasses()) {
        Log.d(TAG, String.format("CLASS: %s", String.valueOf(aClass)));
}

I know I can just add the values to an array and iterate through that, but that requires storing another array. It is what I have done, but still wonder if there is a better way.

Solution

I don't think you'll be able to query it like that at runtime. Your @MysterFlags annotation has a retention policy of SOURCE, which means it will be discarded by the compiler. Further, the @IntDef annotation has a retention policy of CLASS, which means it makes it through compile, but won't make it to runtime. That's why you are only seeing the @Retention annotation in your first loop (that annotation has a retention policy of RUNTIME).