av.msg
Annotation Type Msg

@Retention(value=SOURCE)
@Target(value={FIELD,LOCAL_VARIABLE})
public @interface Msg

Denotes that a final String variable is a Message Definition together with its doc comment (can be omitted when referencing another so defined msg) and constant value. The constant value is the msgID, and the doc comment is the default content of that Message.

But as a standard came with Java 6.0, JSR 269: Pluggable Annotation Processing API does NOT model local variables yet. Even worse, it doesn't provide means to obtain line number information of Java elements. Due to its limitations, the @Msg Annotation Processor depends on SUN's implementation of javac (the Compiler Tree API in fact), and a message has to be defined as a final String field of the class. We are looking forward JSR 269 and its successors will encount local variables as well, at least provide line number information in a pure Java way, such we can produce more meanful source position information for localizable messages.

However, Ableverse Platform provides an open source, but not supported patch to SUN javac, which can be downloaded from http://www.ableverse.org/opensource/javac6patch.zip . With this patch, you will be able to define localizable messages with final String local variables, with the limitation that their location and msgID must be literal string constants (can't be constant references). But this patch is not officially supported, use it for your own sake at your own risk.

Variables annotated with this annotation should be of type String and have the final modifer, or compile time errors will be generated. If the variable is a class field (This will be true until JSR 269 supports local variables, or you are compiling using a patched SUN javac), normally SUN javac will optimize it to be static, but an explicit static modifier is advised, to avoid unnecessary instance fields.

Author:

Compl

See Also:

av.msg, Messager

Optional Element Summary

String

location Specifies name of the Message Bundle which manages the XML resources to contain this message.

location

public abstract String location

Specifies name of the Message Bundle which manages the XML resources to contain this message. This can be the qualified name of parent package of current class at any level. If the value specified maps to other names, a compile time error will be generated.

And dot(".") style notation is also supported to specify parent levels, such that "." means to store this message at current class' msg bundle, and ".." meas to store at the current package's, and "..." means parent package of current package.

The default value is ".", which selects the current class' msg bundle.

Returns:

name of the Message Bundle this message should be stored in.

Default:

"."