java custom annotation: make an attribute optional

Question

I defined my own custom annotation

@Target(value={ElementType.METHOD, ElementType.FIELD})
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
public @interface MyCustomAnnotation  {
    Class<?> myType();
}

how, if at all, can I make the attribute optional

Answer 1

You can provide a default value for the attribute:

@Target(value={ElementType.METHOD, ElementType.FIELD})
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
public @interface MyCustomAnnotation  {
    Class<?> myType() default Object.class;
}