Indicates the kinds of program element to which an annotation type is applicable. If a Target meta-annotation is not present on an annotation type declaration, the declared type may be used on any program element. If such a meta-annotation is present, the compiler will enforce the specified usage restriction. For example, this meta-annotation indicates that the declared type is itself a meta-annotation type. It can only be used on annotation type declarations:

    @Target(ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE)
    public @interface MetaAnnotationType {
        ... 
    }
 

This meta-annotation indicates that the declared type is intended solely for use as a member type in complex annotation type declarations. It cannot be used to annotate anything directly:

    @Target({}) 
    public @interface MemberType {
        ...
    }
 

It is a compile-time error for a single ElementType constant to appear more than once in a Target annotation. For example, the following meta-annotation is illegal:

    @Target({ElementType.FIELD, ElementType.METHOD, ElementType.FIELD})
    public @interface Bogus {
        ...
    }