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Add a Javadoc using automatic comments Type /** before a declaration and press Enter . The IDE auto-completes the doc comment for you.

Whereas inline and block Java comments are read by other developers who maintain the code, JavaDoc comments are for developers who use your code. You can only place JavaDoc comments before the class declaration or a method declaration. Also, they describe the purpose of the class or method and how it might be used.

2. Javadoc Comments The Javadoc comments structure looks very similar to a regular multi-line comment, but the key difference is the extra asterisk at the beginning: Javadoc style comments may contain HTML tags as well. Javadoc comments may be placed above any class, method, or field which we want to document.

In the class, the comment should name the class, describe its purpose, and name the author. In the method, the comment should describe its purpose, comment all arguments, the return value, and any exceptions using JavaDoc keywords.

You can only place JavaDoc comments before the class declaration or a method declaration. Also, they describe the purpose of the class or method and how it might be used. Unlike block and single-line Java comments, JavaDoc does not include any implementation details.

Format of a Doc Comment A doc comment is written in HTML and must precede a class, field, constructor or method declaration. It is made up of two parts -- a description followed by block tags. In this example, the block tags are @param , @return , and @see .

Javadoc is pretty much the accepted standard for documenting java code. Being able to convert it into HTML is just one of the benefits; a much more important one is that all the major Java IDEs understand it as well, and they will use it to display context-sensitive help while you code.

Here's an example using Javadoc comments to describe a class, a field and a constructor: /** Class Description of MyClass */ public class MyClass { /** Field Description of myIntField */ public int myIntField; /** Constructor Description of MyClass() */ public MyClass() { // Do something ... } }