spring的bean容器相关的注解，先后有：@Required， @Autowired, @PostConstruct, @PreDestory，还有Spring3.0开始支持的JSR-330标准Javax.inject.*中的注解(@Inject, @Named, @Qualifier, @Provider, @Scope, @Singleton).
springmvc相关的注解有：@Controller, @RequestMapping, @RequestParam， @ResponseBody等等。
要理解Spring中的注解，先要理解Java中的注解。
1. Java中的注解
Java中1.5中开始引入注解，我们最熟悉的应该是：@Override, 它的定义如下：
/**
* Indicates that a method declaration is intended to override a
* method declaration in a supertype. If a method is annotated with
* this annotation type compilers are required to generate an error
* message unless at least one of the following conditions hold:
* The method does override or implement a method declared in a
* supertype.
* The method has a signature that is override-equivalent to that of
* any public method declared in Object.
*
* @author Peter von der Ahé
* @author Joshua Bloch
* @jls 9.6.1.4 @Override
* @since 1.5
*/
@Target(ElementType.METHOD)
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE)
public @interface Override {
}
从注释，我们可以看出，@Override的作用是，提示编译器，使用了@Override注解的方法必须override父类或者java.lang.Object中的一个同名方法。我们看到@Override的定义中使用到了 @Target, @Retention，它们就是所谓的“元注解”——就是定义注解的注解，或者说注解注解的注解(晕了...)。我们看下@Retention
/**
* Indicates how long annotations with the annotated type are to
* be retained. If no Retention annotation is present on
* an annotation type declaration, the retention policy defaults to
* RetentionPolicy.CLASS.
*/
@Documented
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)
public @interface Retention {
/**
* Returns the retention policy.
* @return the retention policy
*/
RetentionPolicy value();
}
@Retention用于提示注解被保留多长时间，有三种取值：
public enum RetentionPolicy {
/**
* Annotations are to be discarded by the compiler.
*/
SOURCE,
/**
* Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler
* but need not be retained by the VM at run time. This is the default
* behavior.
*/
CLASS,
/**
* Annotations are to be recorded in the class file by the compiler and
* retained by the VM at run time, so they may be read reflectively.
*
* @see java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElement
*/
RUNTIME
}
RetentionPolicy.SOURCE 保留在源码级别，被编译器抛弃(@Override就是此类)； RetentionPolicy.CLASS被编译器保留在编译后的类文件级别，但是被虚拟机丢弃；
RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME保留至运行时，可以被反射读取。
再看 @Target:
package java.lang.annotation;
/**
* Indicates the contexts in which an annotation type is applicable. The
* declaration contexts and type contexts in which an annotation type may be
* applicable are specified in JLS 9.6.4.1, and denoted in source code by enum
* constants of java.lang.annotation.ElementType
* @since 1.5
* @jls 9.6.4.1 @Target
* @jls 9.7.4 Where Annotations May Appear
*/
@Documented
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)
public @interface Target {
/**
* Returns an array of the kinds of elements an annotation type
* can be applied to.
* @return an array of the kinds of elements an annotation type
* can be applied to
*/
ElementType[] value();
}
@Target用于提示该注解使用的地方，取值有：
public enum ElementType {
/** Class, interface (including annotation type), or enum declaration */
TYPE,
/** Field declaration (includes enum constants) */
FIELD,
/** Method declaration */
METHOD,
/** Formal parameter declaration */
PARAMETER,
/** Constructor declaration */
CONSTRUCTOR,
/** Local variable declaration */
LOCAL_VARIABLE,
/** Annotation type declaration */
ANNOTATION_TYPE,
/** Package declaration */
PACKAGE,
/**
* Type parameter declaration
* @since 1.8
*/
TYPE_PARAMETER,
/**
* Use of a type
* @since 1.8
*/
TYPE_USE
}
分别表示该注解可以被使用的地方：1)类,接口，注解，enum; 2)属性域；3）方法；4）参数；5）构造函数；6）局部变量；7）注解类型；8）包
所以：
@Target(ElementType.METHOD)
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE)
public @interface Override {
}
表示 @Override 只能使用在方法上，保留在源码级别，被编译器处理，然后抛弃掉。
还有一个经常使用的元注解 @Documented ：