How to Access Java Documentation Programmatically?

How can I programmatically access Java documentation?

Accessing Java documentation programmatically is essential for automated integrations, development tools, or enhancing IDE functionalities. This article explains various approaches to retrieve Java documentation via code, API, or libraries.

// Example: Using JavaDoc API to retrieve a specific class documentation
String url = "https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/15/docs/api/java.base/java/util/List.html";
try (BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(new URL(url).openStream()))) {
    String inputLine;
    while ((inputLine = in.readLine()) != null) {
        System.out.println(inputLine); // Printing out the documentation content
    }
} catch (IOException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

Causes

• Inability to manually access documentation during automated builds.
• Need for programmatic search capabilities in development tools.
• Integration of documentation retrieval in custom Java applications.

Solutions

• Use the Java API Documentation URL directly in your code or tool.
• Implement a Java library like Javadoc that allows programmatic access to doc files.
• Leverage RESTful APIs from documentation hosting services (if available).

Mistake: Using outdated URLs that point to a previous version of the documentation

Solution: Always check and use the latest documentation URL endpoints.

Mistake: Not handling exceptions when retrieving URLs

Solution: Implement proper exception handling mechanisms to ensure code robustness.