AnnotationUtils.java

/*
 * Copyright 2002-2013 the original author or authors.
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */

package org.springframework.core.annotation;

import java.lang.annotation.Annotation;
import java.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElement;
import java.lang.reflect.Method;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.WeakHashMap;

import org.springframework.core.BridgeMethodResolver;
import org.springframework.util.Assert;
import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
import org.springframework.util.ReflectionUtils;

/**
 * General utility methods for working with annotations, handling bridge methods
 * (which the compiler generates for generic declarations) as well as super methods
 * (for optional "annotation inheritance"). Note that none of this is
 * provided by the JDK's introspection facilities themselves.
 *
 * <p>As a general rule for runtime-retained annotations (e.g. for transaction
 * control, authorization, or service exposure), always use the lookup methods
 * on this class (e.g., {@link #findAnnotation(Method, Class)},
 * {@link #getAnnotation(Method, Class)}, and {@link #getAnnotations(Method)})
 * instead of the plain annotation lookup methods in the JDK. You can still
 * explicitly choose between a <em>get</em> lookup on the given class level only
 * ({@link #getAnnotation(Method, Class)}) and a <em>find</em> lookup in the entire
 * inheritance hierarchy of the given method ({@link #findAnnotation(Method, Class)}).
 *
 * @author Rob Harrop
 * @author Juergen Hoeller
 * @author Sam Brannen
 * @author Mark Fisher
 * @author Chris Beams
 * @author Phillip Webb
 * @since 2.0
 * @see java.lang.reflect.Method#getAnnotations()
 * @see java.lang.reflect.Method#getAnnotation(Class)
 */
public abstract class AnnotationUtils {

	/** The attribute name for annotations with a single element */
	static final String VALUE = "value";

	private static final Map<Class<?>, Boolean> annotatedInterfaceCache = new WeakHashMap<Class<?>, Boolean>();


	/**
	 * Get a single {@link Annotation} of {@code annotationType} from the supplied
	 * annotation: either the given annotation itself or a meta-annotation thereof.
	 * @param ann the Annotation to check
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for, both locally and as a meta-annotation
	 * @return the matching annotation or {@code null} if not found
	 * @since 4.0
	 */
	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
	public static <T extends Annotation> T getAnnotation(Annotation ann, Class<T> annotationType) {
		if (annotationType.isInstance(ann)) {
			return (T) ann;
		}
		return ann.annotationType().getAnnotation(annotationType);
	}

	/**
	 * Get a single {@link Annotation} of {@code annotationType} from the supplied
	 * Method, Constructor or Field. Meta-annotations will be searched if the annotation
	 * is not declared locally on the supplied element.
	 * @param ae the Method, Constructor or Field from which to get the annotation
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for, both locally and as a meta-annotation
	 * @return the matching annotation or {@code null} if not found
	 * @since 3.1
	 */
	public static <T extends Annotation> T getAnnotation(AnnotatedElement ae, Class<T> annotationType) {
		T ann = ae.getAnnotation(annotationType);
		if (ann == null) {
			for (Annotation metaAnn : ae.getAnnotations()) {
				ann = metaAnn.annotationType().getAnnotation(annotationType);
				if (ann != null) {
					break;
				}
			}
		}
		return ann;
	}

	/**
	 * Get all {@link Annotation Annotations} from the supplied {@link Method}.
	 * <p>Correctly handles bridge {@link Method Methods} generated by the compiler.
	 * @param method the method to look for annotations on
	 * @return the annotations found
	 * @see org.springframework.core.BridgeMethodResolver#findBridgedMethod(Method)
	 */
	public static Annotation[] getAnnotations(Method method) {
		return BridgeMethodResolver.findBridgedMethod(method).getAnnotations();
	}

	/**
	 * Get a single {@link Annotation} of {@code annotationType} from the supplied {@link Method}.
	 * <p>Correctly handles bridge {@link Method Methods} generated by the compiler.
	 * @param method the method to look for annotations on
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for
	 * @return the annotations found
	 * @see org.springframework.core.BridgeMethodResolver#findBridgedMethod(Method)
	 */
	public static <A extends Annotation> A getAnnotation(Method method, Class<A> annotationType) {
		Method resolvedMethod = BridgeMethodResolver.findBridgedMethod(method);
		return getAnnotation((AnnotatedElement) resolvedMethod, annotationType);
	}

	/**
	 * Get the possibly repeating {@link Annotation}s of {@code annotationType} from the
	 * supplied {@link Method}. Deals with both a single direct annotation and repeating
	 * annotations nested within a containing annotation.
	 * <p>Correctly handles bridge {@link Method Methods} generated by the compiler.
	 * @param method the method to look for annotations on
	 * @param containerAnnotationType the class of the container that holds the annotations
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for
	 * @return the annotations found
	 * @see org.springframework.core.BridgeMethodResolver#findBridgedMethod(Method)
	 * @since 4.0
	 */
	public static <A extends Annotation> Set<A> getRepeatableAnnotation(Method method,
			Class<? extends Annotation> containerAnnotationType, Class<A> annotationType) {
		Method resolvedMethod = BridgeMethodResolver.findBridgedMethod(method);
		return getRepeatableAnnotation((AnnotatedElement) resolvedMethod,
				containerAnnotationType, annotationType);
	}

	/**
	 * Get the possibly repeating {@link Annotation}s of {@code annotationType} from the
	 * supplied {@link AnnotatedElement}. Deals with both a single direct annotation and
	 * repeating annotations nested within a containing annotation.
	 * <p>Correctly handles bridge {@link Method Methods} generated by the compiler.
	 * @param annotatedElement the element to look for annotations on
	 * @param containerAnnotationType the class of the container that holds the annotations
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for
	 * @return the annotations found
	 * @see org.springframework.core.BridgeMethodResolver#findBridgedMethod(Method)
	 * @since 4.0
	 */
	public static <A extends Annotation> Set<A> getRepeatableAnnotation(AnnotatedElement annotatedElement,
			Class<? extends Annotation> containerAnnotationType, Class<A> annotationType) {
		if (annotatedElement.getAnnotations().length == 0) {
			return Collections.emptySet();
		}
		return new AnnotationCollector<A>(containerAnnotationType, annotationType).getResult(annotatedElement);
	}

	/**
	 * Find a single {@link Annotation} of {@code annotationType} from the supplied
	 * {@link Method}, traversing its super methods (i.e., from super classes and
	 * interfaces) if no annotation can be found on the given method itself.
	 * <p>Annotations on methods are not inherited by default, so we need to handle
	 * this explicitly.
	 * @param method the method to look for annotations on
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for
	 * @return the annotation found, or {@code null} if none found
	 */
	public static <A extends Annotation> A findAnnotation(Method method, Class<A> annotationType) {
		A annotation = getAnnotation(method, annotationType);
		Class<?> clazz = method.getDeclaringClass();
		if (annotation == null) {
			annotation = searchOnInterfaces(method, annotationType, clazz.getInterfaces());
		}
		while (annotation == null) {
			clazz = clazz.getSuperclass();
			if (clazz == null || clazz.equals(Object.class)) {
				break;
			}
			try {
				Method equivalentMethod = clazz.getDeclaredMethod(method.getName(), method.getParameterTypes());
				annotation = getAnnotation(equivalentMethod, annotationType);
			}
			catch (NoSuchMethodException ex) {
				// No equivalent method found
			}
			if (annotation == null) {
				annotation = searchOnInterfaces(method, annotationType, clazz.getInterfaces());
			}
		}
		return annotation;
	}

	private static <A extends Annotation> A searchOnInterfaces(Method method, Class<A> annotationType, Class<?>[] ifcs) {
		A annotation = null;
		for (Class<?> iface : ifcs) {
			if (isInterfaceWithAnnotatedMethods(iface)) {
				try {
					Method equivalentMethod = iface.getMethod(method.getName(), method.getParameterTypes());
					annotation = getAnnotation(equivalentMethod, annotationType);
				}
				catch (NoSuchMethodException ex) {
					// Skip this interface - it doesn't have the method...
				}
				if (annotation != null) {
					break;
				}
			}
		}
		return annotation;
	}

	private static boolean isInterfaceWithAnnotatedMethods(Class<?> iface) {
		synchronized (annotatedInterfaceCache) {
			Boolean flag = annotatedInterfaceCache.get(iface);
			if (flag != null) {
				return flag;
			}
			boolean found = false;
			for (Method ifcMethod : iface.getMethods()) {
				if (ifcMethod.getAnnotations().length > 0) {
					found = true;
					break;
				}
			}
			annotatedInterfaceCache.put(iface, found);
			return found;
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Find a single {@link Annotation} of {@code annotationType} from the supplied
	 * {@link Class}, traversing its annotations, interfaces, and superclasses if
	 * no annotation can be found on the given class itself.
	 * <p>This method explicitly handles class-level annotations which are not
	 * declared as {@link java.lang.annotation.Inherited inherited} <i>as well
	 * as meta-annotations and annotations on interfaces</i>.
	 * <p>The algorithm operates as follows:
	 * <ol>
	 * <li>Search for an annotation on the given class and return it if found.
	 * <li>Recursively search through all interfaces that the given class
	 * declares, returning the annotation from the first matching candidate, if any.
	 * <li>Recursively search through all annotations that the given class
	 * declares, returning the annotation from the first matching candidate, if any.
	 * <li>Proceed with introspection of the superclass hierarchy of the given
	 * class by returning to step #1 with the superclass as the class to look for
	 * annotations on.
	 * </ol>
	 * @param clazz the class to look for annotations on
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for
	 * @return the annotation found, or {@code null} if none found
	 */
	public static <A extends Annotation> A findAnnotation(Class<?> clazz, Class<A> annotationType) {
		Assert.notNull(clazz, "Class must not be null");
		A annotation = clazz.getAnnotation(annotationType);
		if (annotation != null) {
			return annotation;
		}
		for (Class<?> ifc : clazz.getInterfaces()) {
			annotation = findAnnotation(ifc, annotationType);
			if (annotation != null) {
				return annotation;
			}
		}
		if (!Annotation.class.isAssignableFrom(clazz)) {
			for (Annotation ann : clazz.getAnnotations()) {
				annotation = findAnnotation(ann.annotationType(), annotationType);
				if (annotation != null) {
					return annotation;
				}
			}
		}
		Class<?> superClass = clazz.getSuperclass();
		if (superClass == null || superClass.equals(Object.class)) {
			return null;
		}
		return findAnnotation(superClass, annotationType);
	}

	/**
	 * Find the first {@link Class} in the inheritance hierarchy of the specified {@code clazz}
	 * (including the specified {@code clazz} itself) which declares an annotation for the
	 * specified {@code annotationType}, or {@code null} if not found. If the supplied
	 * {@code clazz} is {@code null}, {@code null} will be returned.
	 * <p>If the supplied {@code clazz} is an interface, only the interface itself will be checked;
	 * the inheritance hierarchy for interfaces will not be traversed.
	 * <p>The standard {@link Class} API does not provide a mechanism for determining which class
	 * in an inheritance hierarchy actually declares an {@link Annotation}, so we need to handle
	 * this explicitly.
	 * @param annotationType the annotation class to look for, both locally and as a meta-annotation
	 * @param clazz the class on which to check for the annotation, or {@code null}
	 * @return the first {@link Class} in the inheritance hierarchy of the specified {@code clazz}
	 * which declares an annotation for the specified {@code annotationType}, or {@code null}
	 * if not found
	 * @see Class#isAnnotationPresent(Class)
	 * @see Class#getDeclaredAnnotations()
	 * @see #findAnnotationDeclaringClassForTypes(List, Class)
	 * @see #isAnnotationDeclaredLocally(Class, Class)
	 */
	public static Class<?> findAnnotationDeclaringClass(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType, Class<?> clazz) {
		Assert.notNull(annotationType, "Annotation type must not be null");
		if (clazz == null || clazz.equals(Object.class)) {
			return null;
		}
		if (isAnnotationDeclaredLocally(annotationType, clazz)) {
			return clazz;
		}
		return findAnnotationDeclaringClass(annotationType, clazz.getSuperclass());
	}

	/**
	 * Find the first {@link Class} in the inheritance hierarchy of the specified
	 * {@code clazz} (including the specified {@code clazz} itself) which declares
	 * at least one of the specified {@code annotationTypes}, or {@code null} if
	 * none of the specified annotation types could be found.
	 * <p>If the supplied {@code clazz} is {@code null}, {@code null} will be
	 * returned.
	 * <p>If the supplied {@code clazz} is an interface, only the interface itself
	 * will be checked; the inheritance hierarchy for interfaces will not be traversed.
	 * <p>The standard {@link Class} API does not provide a mechanism for determining
	 * which class in an inheritance hierarchy actually declares one of several
	 * candidate {@linkplain Annotation annotations}, so we need to handle this
	 * explicitly.
	 * @param annotationTypes the list of Class objects corresponding to the
	 * annotation types
	 * @param clazz the Class object corresponding to the class on which to check
	 * for the annotations, or {@code null}
	 * @return the first {@link Class} in the inheritance hierarchy of the specified
	 * {@code clazz} which declares an annotation of at least one of the specified
	 * {@code annotationTypes}, or {@code null} if not found
	 * @since 3.2.2
	 * @see Class#isAnnotationPresent(Class)
	 * @see Class#getDeclaredAnnotations()
	 * @see #findAnnotationDeclaringClass(Class, Class)
	 * @see #isAnnotationDeclaredLocally(Class, Class)
	 */
	public static Class<?> findAnnotationDeclaringClassForTypes(List<Class<? extends Annotation>> annotationTypes, Class<?> clazz) {
		Assert.notEmpty(annotationTypes, "The list of annotation types must not be empty");
		if (clazz == null || clazz.equals(Object.class)) {
			return null;
		}
		for (Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType : annotationTypes) {
			if (isAnnotationDeclaredLocally(annotationType, clazz)) {
				return clazz;
			}
		}
		return findAnnotationDeclaringClassForTypes(annotationTypes, clazz.getSuperclass());
	}

	/**
	 * Determine whether an annotation for the specified {@code annotationType} is
	 * declared locally on the supplied {@code clazz}. The supplied {@link Class}
	 * may represent any type.
	 * <p>Note: This method does <strong>not</strong> determine if the annotation is
	 * {@linkplain java.lang.annotation.Inherited inherited}. For greater clarity
	 * regarding inherited annotations, consider using
	 * {@link #isAnnotationInherited(Class, Class)} instead.
	 * @param annotationType the Class object corresponding to the annotation type
	 * @param clazz the Class object corresponding to the class on which to check for the annotation
	 * @return {@code true} if an annotation for the specified {@code annotationType}
	 * is declared locally on the supplied {@code clazz}
	 * @see Class#getDeclaredAnnotations()
	 * @see #isAnnotationInherited(Class, Class)
	 */
	public static boolean isAnnotationDeclaredLocally(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType, Class<?> clazz) {
		Assert.notNull(annotationType, "Annotation type must not be null");
		Assert.notNull(clazz, "Class must not be null");
		boolean declaredLocally = false;
		for (Annotation annotation : clazz.getDeclaredAnnotations()) {
			if (annotation.annotationType().equals(annotationType)) {
				declaredLocally = true;
				break;
			}
		}
		return declaredLocally;
	}

	/**
	 * Determine whether an annotation for the specified {@code annotationType} is present
	 * on the supplied {@code clazz} and is {@linkplain java.lang.annotation.Inherited inherited}
	 * (i.e., not declared locally for the class).
	 * <p>If the supplied {@code clazz} is an interface, only the interface itself will be checked.
	 * In accordance with standard meta-annotation semantics, the inheritance hierarchy for interfaces
	 * will not be traversed. See the {@linkplain java.lang.annotation.Inherited Javadoc} for the
	 * {@code @Inherited} meta-annotation for further details regarding annotation inheritance.
	 * @param annotationType the Class object corresponding to the annotation type
	 * @param clazz the Class object corresponding to the class on which to check for the annotation
	 * @return {@code true} if an annotation for the specified {@code annotationType} is present
	 * on the supplied {@code clazz} and is <em>inherited</em>
	 * @see Class#isAnnotationPresent(Class)
	 * @see #isAnnotationDeclaredLocally(Class, Class)
	 */
	public static boolean isAnnotationInherited(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType, Class<?> clazz) {
		Assert.notNull(annotationType, "Annotation type must not be null");
		Assert.notNull(clazz, "Class must not be null");
		return (clazz.isAnnotationPresent(annotationType) && !isAnnotationDeclaredLocally(annotationType, clazz));
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the given annotation's attributes as a Map, preserving all attribute types
	 * as-is.
	 * <p>Note: As of Spring 3.1.1, the returned map is actually an
	 * {@link AnnotationAttributes} instance, however the Map signature of this method has
	 * been preserved for binary compatibility.
	 * @param annotation the annotation to retrieve the attributes for
	 * @return the Map of annotation attributes, with attribute names as keys and
	 * corresponding attribute values as values
	 */
	public static Map<String, Object> getAnnotationAttributes(Annotation annotation) {
		return getAnnotationAttributes(annotation, false, false);
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the given annotation's attributes as a Map. Equivalent to calling
	 * {@link #getAnnotationAttributes(Annotation, boolean, boolean)} with
	 * the {@code nestedAnnotationsAsMap} parameter set to {@code false}.
	 * <p>Note: As of Spring 3.1.1, the returned map is actually an
	 * {@link AnnotationAttributes} instance, however the Map signature of this method has
	 * been preserved for binary compatibility.
	 * @param annotation the annotation to retrieve the attributes for
	 * @param classValuesAsString whether to turn Class references into Strings (for
	 * compatibility with {@link org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata} or to
	 * preserve them as Class references
	 * @return the Map of annotation attributes, with attribute names as keys and
	 * corresponding attribute values as values
	 */
	public static Map<String, Object> getAnnotationAttributes(Annotation annotation, boolean classValuesAsString) {
		return getAnnotationAttributes(annotation, classValuesAsString, false);
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the given annotation's attributes as an {@link AnnotationAttributes}
	 * map structure. Implemented in Spring 3.1.1 to provide fully recursive annotation
	 * reading capabilities on par with that of the reflection-based
	 * {@link org.springframework.core.type.StandardAnnotationMetadata}.
	 * @param annotation the annotation to retrieve the attributes for
	 * @param classValuesAsString whether to turn Class references into Strings (for
	 * compatibility with {@link org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata} or to
	 * preserve them as Class references
	 * @param nestedAnnotationsAsMap whether to turn nested Annotation instances into
	 * {@link AnnotationAttributes} maps (for compatibility with
	 * {@link org.springframework.core.type.AnnotationMetadata} or to preserve them as
	 * Annotation instances
	 * @return the annotation attributes (a specialized Map) with attribute names as keys
	 * and corresponding attribute values as values
	 * @since 3.1.1
	 */
	public static AnnotationAttributes getAnnotationAttributes(Annotation annotation, boolean classValuesAsString,
			boolean nestedAnnotationsAsMap) {

		AnnotationAttributes attrs = new AnnotationAttributes();
		Method[] methods = annotation.annotationType().getDeclaredMethods();
		for (Method method : methods) {
			if (method.getParameterTypes().length == 0 && method.getReturnType() != void.class) {
				try {
					Object value = method.invoke(annotation);
					if (classValuesAsString) {
						if (value instanceof Class) {
							value = ((Class<?>) value).getName();
						}
						else if (value instanceof Class[]) {
							Class<?>[] clazzArray = (Class[]) value;
							String[] newValue = new String[clazzArray.length];
							for (int i = 0; i < clazzArray.length; i++) {
								newValue[i] = clazzArray[i].getName();
							}
							value = newValue;
						}
					}
					if (nestedAnnotationsAsMap && value instanceof Annotation) {
						attrs.put(method.getName(),
							getAnnotationAttributes((Annotation) value, classValuesAsString, nestedAnnotationsAsMap));
					}
					else if (nestedAnnotationsAsMap && value instanceof Annotation[]) {
						Annotation[] realAnnotations = (Annotation[]) value;
						AnnotationAttributes[] mappedAnnotations = new AnnotationAttributes[realAnnotations.length];
						for (int i = 0; i < realAnnotations.length; i++) {
							mappedAnnotations[i] = getAnnotationAttributes(
									realAnnotations[i], classValuesAsString, nestedAnnotationsAsMap);
						}
						attrs.put(method.getName(), mappedAnnotations);
					}
					else {
						attrs.put(method.getName(), value);
					}
				}
				catch (Exception ex) {
					throw new IllegalStateException("Could not obtain annotation attribute values", ex);
				}
			}
		}
		return attrs;
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the <em>value</em> of the {@code &quot;value&quot;} attribute of a
	 * single-element Annotation, given an annotation instance.
	 * @param annotation the annotation instance from which to retrieve the value
	 * @return the attribute value, or {@code null} if not found
	 * @see #getValue(Annotation, String)
	 */
	public static Object getValue(Annotation annotation) {
		return getValue(annotation, VALUE);
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the <em>value</em> of a named Annotation attribute, given an annotation instance.
	 * @param annotation the annotation instance from which to retrieve the value
	 * @param attributeName the name of the attribute value to retrieve
	 * @return the attribute value, or {@code null} if not found
	 * @see #getValue(Annotation)
	 */
	public static Object getValue(Annotation annotation, String attributeName) {
		try {
			Method method = annotation.annotationType().getDeclaredMethod(attributeName, new Class<?>[0]);
			ReflectionUtils.makeAccessible(method);
			return method.invoke(annotation);
		}
		catch (Exception ex) {
			return null;
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the <em>default value</em> of the {@code &quot;value&quot;} attribute
	 * of a single-element Annotation, given an annotation instance.
	 * @param annotation the annotation instance from which to retrieve the default value
	 * @return the default value, or {@code null} if not found
	 * @see #getDefaultValue(Annotation, String)
	 */
	public static Object getDefaultValue(Annotation annotation) {
		return getDefaultValue(annotation, VALUE);
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the <em>default value</em> of a named Annotation attribute, given an annotation instance.
	 * @param annotation the annotation instance from which to retrieve the default value
	 * @param attributeName the name of the attribute value to retrieve
	 * @return the default value of the named attribute, or {@code null} if not found
	 * @see #getDefaultValue(Class, String)
	 */
	public static Object getDefaultValue(Annotation annotation, String attributeName) {
		return getDefaultValue(annotation.annotationType(), attributeName);
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the <em>default value</em> of the {@code &quot;value&quot;} attribute
	 * of a single-element Annotation, given the {@link Class annotation type}.
	 * @param annotationType the <em>annotation type</em> for which the default value should be retrieved
	 * @return the default value, or {@code null} if not found
	 * @see #getDefaultValue(Class, String)
	 */
	public static Object getDefaultValue(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType) {
		return getDefaultValue(annotationType, VALUE);
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the <em>default value</em> of a named Annotation attribute, given the {@link Class annotation type}.
	 * @param annotationType the <em>annotation type</em> for which the default value should be retrieved
	 * @param attributeName the name of the attribute value to retrieve.
	 * @return the default value of the named attribute, or {@code null} if not found
	 * @see #getDefaultValue(Annotation, String)
	 */
	public static Object getDefaultValue(Class<? extends Annotation> annotationType, String attributeName) {
		try {
			Method method = annotationType.getDeclaredMethod(attributeName, new Class<?>[0]);
			return method.getDefaultValue();
		}
		catch (Exception ex) {
			return null;
		}
	}


	private static class AnnotationCollector<A extends Annotation> {

		private final Class<? extends Annotation> containerAnnotationType;

		private final Class<A> annotationType;

		private final Set<AnnotatedElement> visited = new HashSet<AnnotatedElement>();

		private final Set<A> result = new LinkedHashSet<A>();


		public AnnotationCollector(Class<? extends Annotation> containerAnnotationType,
				Class<A> annotationType) {
			this.containerAnnotationType = containerAnnotationType;
			this.annotationType = annotationType;
		}


		public Set<A> getResult(AnnotatedElement element) {
			process(element);
			return Collections.unmodifiableSet(this.result);
		}

		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
		private void process(AnnotatedElement annotatedElement) {
			if (this.visited.add(annotatedElement)) {
				for (Annotation annotation : annotatedElement.getAnnotations()) {
					if (ObjectUtils.nullSafeEquals(this.annotationType, annotation.annotationType())) {
						this.result.add((A) annotation);
					}
					else if (ObjectUtils.nullSafeEquals(this.containerAnnotationType, annotation.annotationType())) {
						result.addAll(Arrays.asList(getValue(annotation)));
					}
					else {
						process(annotation.annotationType());
					}
				}
			}
		}

		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
		private A[] getValue(Annotation annotation) {
			try {
				Method method = annotation.annotationType().getDeclaredMethod("value");
				ReflectionUtils.makeAccessible(method);
				return (A[]) method.invoke(annotation);
			}
			catch (Exception ex) {
				throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to read value from repeating annotation container "
								+ this.containerAnnotationType.getName(), ex);
			}
		}

	}
}