RuntimeVisibleAnnotations and RuntimeInvisibleAnnotations

Anno.java

package com.khotyn.test;

import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

@Retention(RetentionPolicy.CLASS)
@Target(ElementType.TYPE)
public @interface Anno {
}

AnnoTest.java

package com.khotyn.test;

@Anno
public class AnnoTest {

    @Deprecated
    public void test() {
    }
}

AnnoTest_javap

Compiled from "AnnoTest.java"
public class com.khotyn.test.AnnoTest extends java.lang.Object
  SourceFile: "AnnoTest.java"
  RuntimeInvisibleAnnotations: length = 0x6
   00 01 00 12 00 00 
  minor version: 0
  major version: 50
  Constant pool:
const #1 = Method	#3.#19;	//  java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
const #2 = class	#20;	//  com/khotyn/test/AnnoTest
const #3 = class	#21;	//  java/lang/Object
const #4 = Asciz	<init>;
const #5 = Asciz	()V;
const #6 = Asciz	Code;
const #7 = Asciz	LineNumberTable;
const #8 = Asciz	LocalVariableTable;
const #9 = Asciz	this;
const #10 = Asciz	Lcom/khotyn/test/AnnoTest;;
const #11 = Asciz	test;
const #12 = Asciz	Deprecated;
const #13 = Asciz	RuntimeVisibleAnnotations;
const #14 = Asciz	Ljava/lang/Deprecated;;
const #15 = Asciz	SourceFile;
const #16 = Asciz	AnnoTest.java;
const #17 = Asciz	RuntimeInvisibleAnnotations;
const #18 = Asciz	Lcom/khotyn/test/Anno;;
const #19 = NameAndType	#4:#5;//  "<init>":()V
const #20 = Asciz	com/khotyn/test/AnnoTest;
const #21 = Asciz	java/lang/Object;

{
public com.khotyn.test.AnnoTest();
  Code:
   Stack=1, Locals=1, Args_size=1
   0:	aload_0
   1:	invokespecial	#1; //Method java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
   4:	return
  LineNumberTable: 
   line 4: 0

  LocalVariableTable: 
   Start  Length  Slot  Name   Signature
   0      5      0    this       Lcom/khotyn/test/AnnoTest;


public void test();
  Code:
   Stack=0, Locals=1, Args_size=1
   0:	return
  LineNumberTable: 
   line 8: 0

  LocalVariableTable: 
   Start  Length  Slot  Name   Signature
   0      1      0    this       Lcom/khotyn/test/AnnoTest;

  Deprecated: true
  RuntimeVisibleAnnotations: length = 0x6
   00 01 00 0E 00 00 

}

In a Java Annotation, you can mark the Annotation's RetentionPolicy as @Retention(RetentionPolicy.CLASS), @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME or @Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE):

• @Retention(RetentionPolicy.CLASS) means that the annotation will be recorded in the class file but not retained by the VM in runtime, that is RuntimeInvisibleAnnotations and RuntimeInvisibleParameterAnnotations in the class file.
• @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME means that the annotation will be recorded in the class file and will be retained by the VM in the runtime, that is RuntimeVisibleAnnotaions and RuntimeVisibleParameterAnnotations int the class file.
• @Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE) means that the annotation will not be recorded in the class file.