javadoc
Java API documentation generator
TLDR
Generate documentation
$ javadoc [*.java]
Output to directory$ javadoc -d [docs/] [*.java]
Include private members$ javadoc -private [*.java]
Generate with classpath$ javadoc -cp [lib/*] [src/*.java]
Document package$ javadoc -d [docs/] -sourcepath [src/] [com.example]
Link to external docs$ javadoc -link [https://docs.oracle.com/javase/17/docs/api/] [*.java]
SYNOPSIS
javadoc [options] sources...
DESCRIPTION
javadoc generates API documentation in HTML format from Java source code comments. It parses specially formatted doc comments (/** ... */) and produces navigable pages with class hierarchies, method details, and cross-references.
The tool supports tags like @param, @return, @throws, and @see for structured documentation. It can link to external API documentation using the -link option, and visibility filtering controls which members appear in the output.
PARAMETERS
-d DIR
Output directory.-sourcepath PATH
Source file path.-cp PATH
Classpath for dependencies.-private
Include all members.-public
Include only public.-link URL
Link to external documentation.-author
Include @author tags.--help
Display help information.
CAVEATS
Requires source code. Comment format matters. Large projects may be slow.
HISTORY
javadoc has been part of the JDK since Java 1.0, created by Sun Microsystems for generating API documentation.
