what is reflection in java

• The word reflection implies that the properties of whatever being examined are displayed or reflected to someone who wants to observe those properties. Similarly, Reflection in Java is the ability to examine and/or modify the properties or behavior of an object at run-time. It’s important to note that reflection specifically applies to objects – so you need an object of a class to get information for that particular class.

• Reflection is considered to be an advanced technique, and can be quite powerful when used correctly.

• Reflection in Java consists of 2 primary things that you should remember:

• 1. Metadata. Metadata literally means data about the data. In this case, metadata means extra data that has to do with your Java program – like data about your Java classes, constructors, methods, fields, etc.

• 2. Functionality that allows you to manipulate the metadata as well. So, functionality that would allow you to manipulate those fields, methods, constructors, etc. You can actually call methods and constructors using Java reflection – which is an important fact to remember.