Java - Comments

In Java, comments are used to provide descriptions and explanations about the code. Comments are not compiled, and therefore do not affect the functionality of the program. They are purely for human understanding and documentation purposes.

There are three types of comments in Java:

Single-line comments: These comments begin with two forward slashes (//). Everything on the same line after the // is ignored by the compiler.

// This is a single-line comment
int x = 5; // This is also a single-line comment

Multi-line comments: These comments begin with /* and end with */. Everything between the /* and */ is ignored by the compiler.

/*
This is a
multi-line
comment
*/

Javadoc comments: These comments begin with /** and end with */. They are used to document classes, methods, and variables, and are used by the Javadoc tool to generate documentation.

/**
 * This is a Javadoc comment for the HelloWorld class.
 */
public class HelloWorld {
    /**
     * This is a Javadoc comment for the main method.
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // This is a single-line comment within the main method
        System.out.println("Hello, world!");
    }
}

In general, it is good practice to include comments in your code to help make it more readable and understandable. However, it is also important to avoid over-commenting, as too many comments can make the code harder to read.

When writing comments, it is a good idea to follow a consistent style and format, and to keep the comments up-to-date as the code changes over time.