Module java.xml.bind
Package javax.xml.bind.annotation

Annotation Type XmlSeeAlso


  • @Target(TYPE)
@Retention(RUNTIME)
public @interface XmlSeeAlso
    Instructs JAXB to also bind other classes when binding this class.

    Java makes it impractical/impossible to list all sub-classes of a given class. This often gets in a way of JAXB users, as it JAXB cannot automatically list up the classes that need to be known to JAXBContext.

    For example, with the following class definitions: 

     class Animal {}
 class Dog extends Animal {}
 class Cat extends Animal {}

    The user would be required to create JAXBContext as JAXBContext.newInstance(Dog.class,Cat.class) (Animal will be automatically picked up since Dog and Cat refers to it.)

    XmlSeeAlso annotation would allow you to write: 

     @XmlSeeAlso({Dog.class,Cat.class})
 class Animal {}
 class Dog extends Animal {}
 class Cat extends Animal {}

    This would allow you to do JAXBContext.newInstance(Animal.class). By the help of this annotation, JAXB implementations will be able to correctly bind Dog and Cat.

    Since:
    1.6, JAXB 2.1

    • Required Element Summary

      Required Elements 
      Modifier and Type Required Element Description
      Class[] value  

    • Element Detail