# Interface Messager

public interface Messager
A `Messager` provides the way for an annotation processor to report error messages, warnings, and other notices. Elements, annotations, and annotation values can be passed to provide a location hint for the message. However, such location hints may be unavailable or only approximate.

Printing a message with an error kind will raise an error.

API Note:
  The messages "printed" by methods in this interface may or may not appear as textual output to a location like `System.out` or `System.err`. Implementations may choose to present this information in a different fashion, such as messages in a window.
Since:
  1.6
See Also:
  - `ProcessingEnvironment.getLocale()`

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `default void`
  `printError(CharSequence msg)`
  Prints an error.
  `default void`
  `printError(CharSequence msg, Element e)`
  Prints an error at the location of the element.
  `void`
  `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg)`
  Prints a message of the specified kind.
  `void`
  `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg, Element e)`
  Prints a message of the specified kind at the location of the element.
  `void`
  `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg, Element e, AnnotationMirror a)`
  Prints a message of the specified kind at the location of the annotation mirror of the annotated element.
  `void`
  `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg, Element e, AnnotationMirror a, AnnotationValue v)`
  Prints a message of the specified kind at the location of the annotation value inside the annotation mirror of the annotated element.
  `default void`
  `printNote(CharSequence msg)`
  Prints a note.
  `default void`
  `printNote(CharSequence msg, Element e)`
  Prints a note at the location of the element.
  `default void`
  `printWarning(CharSequence msg)`
  Prints a warning.
  `default void`
  `printWarning(CharSequence msg, Element e)`
  Prints a warning at the location of the element.

- ## Method Details

  - ### printMessage

    void printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg)
    Prints a message of the specified kind.
    Parameters:
      `kind` - the kind of message
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none

  - ### printMessage

    void printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg, Element e)
    Prints a message of the specified kind at the location of the element.
    Parameters:
      `kind` - the kind of message
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
      `e` - the element to use as a position hint

  - ### printMessage

    void printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg, Element e, AnnotationMirror a)
    Prints a message of the specified kind at the location of the annotation mirror of the annotated element.
    Parameters:
      `kind` - the kind of message
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
      `e` - the annotated element
      `a` - the annotation to use as a position hint

  - ### printMessage

    void printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind kind, CharSequence msg, Element e, AnnotationMirror a, AnnotationValue v)
    Prints a message of the specified kind at the location of the annotation value inside the annotation mirror of the annotated element.
    Parameters:
      `kind` - the kind of message
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
      `e` - the annotated element
      `a` - the annotation containing the annotation value
      `v` - the annotation value to use as a position hint

  - ### printError

    default void printError(CharSequence msg)
    Prints an error.
    Implementation Requirements:
      The default implementation is equivalent to `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.ERROR, msg)`.
    Parameters:
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
    Since:
      18

  - ### printError

    default void printError(CharSequence msg, Element e)
    Prints an error at the location of the element.
    Implementation Requirements:
      The default implementation is equivalent to `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.ERROR, msg, e)`.
    Parameters:
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
      `e` - the element to use as a position hint
    Since:
      18

  - ### printWarning

    default void printWarning(CharSequence msg)
    Prints a warning.
    Implementation Requirements:
      The default implementation is equivalent to `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.WARNING, msg)`.
    Parameters:
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
    Since:
      18

  - ### printWarning

    default void printWarning(CharSequence msg, Element e)
    Prints a warning at the location of the element.
    Implementation Requirements:
      The default implementation is equivalent to `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.WARNING, msg, e)`.
    Parameters:
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
      `e` - the element to use as a position hint
    Since:
      18

  - ### printNote

    default void printNote(CharSequence msg)
    Prints a note.
    Implementation Requirements:
      The default implementation is equivalent to `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.NOTE, msg)`.
    Parameters:
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
    Since:
      18

  - ### printNote

    default void printNote(CharSequence msg, Element e)
    Prints a note at the location of the element.
    Implementation Requirements:
      The default implementation is equivalent to `printMessage(Diagnostic.Kind.NOTE, msg, e)`.
    Parameters:
      `msg` - the message, or an empty string if none
      `e` - the element to use as a position hint
    Since:
      18