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Make edits to Javadoc tags

Last updated: Dec 26, 2018

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It’s pretty common for developers to add Javadoc tags and brief comments as they’re creating Java code. In fact, if they don’t add some annotations, the IDE will usually produce a warning error.

However, the comments that developers add might be poor, incomplete, or incomprehensible. A tech writer’s job with Javadoc is often to edit the content that’s already there, providing more clarity, structure, inserting the right tags, and more.

What to look for when editing Javadoc content

When you make edits to Javadoc content, look for the following:

  • Missing doc. Lots of Javadoc is incomplete. Look for missing documentation.
  • Consistent style. See if the existing tags follow Java’s style conventions with annotations.
  • Clarity. Some descriptions are unintelligible due to the curse of knowledge (it might be hard to tell without a stronger grasp of Java)

Make some edits to the Javadoc

Make some edits to a class and method. Then regenerate the Javadoc and find your changes. See how they get rendered in the output.

About Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson

I'm an API technical writer based in the Seattle area. On this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, AI, information architecture, content strategy, writing processes, plain language, tech comm careers, and more. Check out my API documentation course if you're looking for more info about documenting APIs. Or see my posts on AI and AI course section for more on the latest in AI and tech comm.

If you're a technical writer and want to keep on top of the latest trends in the tech comm, be sure to subscribe to email updates below. You can also learn more about me or contact me. Finally, note that the opinions I express on my blog are my own points of view, not that of my employer.

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