Javadoc overriding methods not inheriting @param descriptions #962

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1. Th3OnlyN00b commented on Dec 8, 2020

   

   Th3OnlyN00b

   on Dec 8, 2020

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   I can reproduce this issue. I can attach code if desired.
2. BSoDium commented on Apr 17, 2021

   

   BSoDium

   on Apr 17, 2021

   Last edited by BSoDium

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   Same issue here, this is very annoying when implementing many interface-specific inherited methods.
3. tylertian123 commented on Apr 17, 2021

   

   tylertian123

   on Apr 17, 2021

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   Upon some more experimentation and a closer look at the Javadoc tool's documentation, I noticed that this actually isn't an issue with the {@inheritDoc} tag. According to the docs, an {@inheritDoc} in the main description should only copy over the main description itself. Putting more {@inheritDoc} tags in @params does work as expected:

   public class Bar extends Foo {
       /**
        * {@inheritDoc}
        * 
        * @param i {@inheritDoc}
        */
       @Override
       public void foo(int i) {
           throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
       }
   }

   With this, the description for i shows up correctly:
   

   However, the main issue is in the way parameter descriptions are inherited in general. According to the docs:

   When a main description, or @return, @param or @throws tag is missing from a method comment, the Javadoc tool copies the corresponding main description or tag comment from the method it overrides or implements (if any), according to the algorithm below.
   This behavior contrasts with version 1.3 and earlier, where the presence of any main description or tag would prevent all comments from being inherited.

   So even if there is text in the main description of the overriding method, as long as there are @param tags missing, their descriptions should be copied over automatically — which the plugin currently does not do. The current behaviour matches "1.3 and earlier" Javadoc versions, which is inconsistent with current versions of the Javadoc tool. I will edit the issue to reflect this.
4. tylertian123

   changed the title [-]Javadoc @inheritDoc does not inherit parameter descriptions[/-] [+]Javadoc does not inherit @param or @throws tags when main description is present[/+] on Apr 17, 2021
5. tylertian123

   changed the title [-]Javadoc does not inherit @param or @throws tags when main description is present[/-] [+]Javadoc overriding methods not inheriting @param and @throws descriptions[/+] on Apr 17, 2021
6. tylertian123

   changed the title [-]Javadoc overriding methods not inheriting @param and @throws descriptions[/-] [+]Javadoc overriding methods not inheriting @param descriptions[/+] on Apr 17, 2021
7. BSoDium commented on Apr 17, 2021

   

   BSoDium

   on Apr 17, 2021

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   Thank you ! It does indeed work, I just tested it 😄
8. tylertian123 commented on Apr 18, 2021

   

   tylertian123

   on Apr 18, 2021

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   This seems to be an issue in the Eclipse JDT language server instead, since that's what provides the hovers.
9. testforstephen

   added

   bug

   hover

   javadoc

   on Feb 13, 2023
10. anttijuu commented on Sep 11, 2025

    

    anttijuu

    on Sep 11, 2025

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    So the case is still that I should report a similar issue to Eclipse JDT language server project? I am using VS Code with Red Hat Java extensions (macOS).

    I have a case where a Java interface class has JavaDocs, one method having a parameter and a @throws. But in the implementation class of that interface, the @throws is not shown when hovering the mouse over the implementation class method.
11. robstryker commented on Oct 29, 2026

    

    robstryker

    on Oct 29, 2026

    Contributor

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    Just tested with class Foo:

    public class Foo {
        /**
         * Foo.foo
         * 
         * @param i an int for silliness
         */
        public int foo(int i) {
            return i;
        }
    }
    

    and class Bar:

    public class Bar extends Foo {
        @Override
        public int foo(int i) {
            return i;
        }
    }
    

    Doing a hover on Bar.foo(int i), on the foo symbol, shows the following in the hover:

    int blah23.Bar.foo(int i)
    Foo.foo
    Overrides: foo(...) in Foo
    
    Parameters:
    i an int for silliness
    

    So it seems to work as expected without any inheritDoc flags at all.
    Feel free to open a new issue if you can create a minimal example.
12. robstryker

    closed this as completedon Oct 29, 2026