How to use java annotations to modify source code before final compilation?

Question

I\'ve read from the apt tool page that one can create AnnotationProcessors to generate new derived files (source files, class files, deployment descriptors, etc.). I am looking

Answer 1

You could have

String message = Obfuscated.decode("a string that should not be readable in class file");

which compiles normally, however after compilation you have a tool which examines the bytecode e.g. using ObjectWeb's ASM, changes the String literal so it looks like

String message = Obfuscated.decode("\u86DD\u4DBB\u5166\uC13D\u4C79\uB1CD\uC313\uAE09\u1A35\u3051\uDAF6\u463B");

To make it easer to identify strings which need to be changed, you could add a prefix to them, and you could ensure this prefix does appear after the code has been obfuscated.

String s = "Obfuscate: a string that should not be readable in class file";
// later
String message = Obfuscated.decode(s);