java.lang · java.base · since Java 1.0

Class

declaration

public final class Class<T>
        implements Type, AnnotatedElement, GenericDeclaration

The runtime representation of a type — the entry point to reflection and a type-safe token (Class<T>) for APIs like cast() and typesafe heterogeneous containers.

Key methods

`static Class<?> forName(String name)`	Load (and by default initialize) a class by binary name.
`Method[] getDeclaredMethods() / Field[] getDeclaredFields()`	All members declared here (any visibility).
`Constructor<T> getDeclaredConstructor(Class<?>...)`	Reflective instantiation entry.
`T cast(Object obj)`	Checked dynamic cast — the type-token workhorse (EJ 33).
`boolean isInstance(Object) / isAssignableFrom(Class)`	Dynamic instanceof / subtype tests.
`<A extends Annotation> A getAnnotation(Class<A>)`	Read runtime-retained annotations.
`boolean isRecord() / isSealed() / isEnum()`	Modern type-kind tests.