Javadoc is a convenient, standard way to document your Java code. Javadoc is actually a special format of comments.

1. JavaDoc

2. Javadoc
 Javadoc is a convenient, standard way to document your
Java code.
 Javadoc is actually a special format of comments.
 There are two kinds of Javadoc comments:
 class-level comments: Class-level comments provide the
description of the classes
 and member-level comments: member-level comments
describe the purposes of the members.
 Both types of comments start with /** and end with */. For
example, this is a Javadoc comment:
/** This is a Javadoc comment */

3. Structure of a Javadoc
comment
 A Javadoc comment is set off from code by standard
multi-line comment tags /* and */.
 The opening tag (called begin-comment delimiter), has
an extra asterisk, as in /**.
 The first paragraph is a description of the method
documented.
 Following the description are a varying number of
descriptive tags, signifying:
 The parameters of the method (@param)
 What the method returns (@return)
 Any exceptions the method may throw (@throws)
 Other less-common tags such as @see (a "see also" tag)

4. Overview of Javadoc
 The basic structure of writing document comments is to embed them
inside /** ... */.
 The Javadoc is written next to the items without any separating
newline.
 Note that any import statements must precede the class
declaration. The class declaration usually contains:
// import statements /**
* @author Firstname Lastname <address @ example.com>
* @version 1.6 (current version number of program)
* @since 2010-03-31 (the version of the package this
class was first added to)
*/
public class Test { // class body}

5. Javadoc tags
Tag & Parameter Usage Applies to Since
@author John Smith Describes an author. Class, Interface, Enum
@version version
Provides software
version entry. Max one
per Class or Interface.
Class, Interface, Enum
@since since-text
Describes when this
functionality has first
existed.
Class, Interface, Enum,
Field, Method
@see reference
Provides a link to other
element of
documentation.
Class, Interface, Enum,
Field, Method
@param name
description
Describes a method
parameter.
Method
@return description
Describes the return
value.
Method

6. Javadoc tags
Tag & Parameter Usage Applies to Since
@exception classname
description
@throws classname
description
Describes an exception
that may be thrown from
this method.
Method
@deprecated descriptio
n
Describes an outdated
method.
Class, Interface, Enum,
Field, Method
{@inheritDoc}
Copies the description
from the overridden
method.
Overriding Method 1.4.0
{@link reference} Link to other symbol.
Class, Interface, Enum,
Field, Method
{@value #STATIC_FIEL
D}
Return the value of a
static field.
Static Field 1.4.0
{@code literal}
Formats literal text in the
code font. It is equivalent
to
<code>{@literal}</code>
.
Class, Interface, Enum,
Field, Method
1.5.0

7. Examples

8.  You can include required HTML tags inside the
description part,
 For example, below example makes use of
<h1>....</h1> for heading and <p> has been used for
creating paragraph break:

9. /**
* Validates a chess move.
*
* Use {@link #doMove(int theFromFile, int theFromRank, int theToFile, int theToRank)} to move a piece.
*
* @param theFromFile file from which a piece is being moved
* @param theFromRank rank from which a piece is being moved
* @param theToFile file to which a piece is being moved
* @param theToRank rank to which a piece is being moved
* @return true if the move is valid, otherwise false
*/
boolean isValidMove(int theFromFile, int theFromRank, int theToFile, int theToRank)
{
...
}
/**
* Moves a chess piece.
*
* @see java.math.RoundingMode
*/
void doMove(int theFromFile, int theFromRank, int theToFile, int theToRank)
{
...
}

10. import java.io.*;
/**
* <h1>Add Two Numbers!</h1>
* The AddNum program implements an application that
* simply adds two given integer numbers and Prints
* the output on the screen.
* <p>
* <b>Note:</b> Giving proper comments in your program makes it more
* user friendly and it is assumed as a high quality code. *
* @author Zara Ali * @version 1.0 * @since 2014-03-31
*/ public class AddNum {
/** * This method is used to add two integers. This is
* a the simplest form of a class method, just to
* show the usage of various javadoc Tags.
* @param numA This is the first paramter to addNum method
* @param numB This is the second parameter to addNum method
* @return int This returns sum of numA and numB.
*/
public int addNum(int numA, int numB) {
return numA + numB;
} /** * This is the main method which makes use of addNum method. * @param args Unused. *
@return Nothing. * @exception IOException On input error. * @see IOException */ public
static void main(String args[]) throws IOException { AddNum obj = new AddNum(); int
sum = obj.addNum(10, 20); System.out.println("Sum of 10 and 20 is :" + sum); } }

11. Useful Links
 https://newcircle.com/bookshelf/java_fundamentals_tu
torial/javadoc
 http://agile.csc.ncsu.edu/SEMaterials/tutorials/javadoc
/
 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/b2s063f7.aspx