Improve documentation for @IfProfileValue precedence

Issue: SPR-11902

Author: sbrannen

spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/annotation/IfProfileValue.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2013 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2015 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -24,83 +24,102 @@
 import java.lang.annotation.Target;
 
 /**
- * <p>
- * Test annotation to indicate that a test is enabled for a specific testing
- * profile or environment. If the configured {@link ProfileValueSource} returns
- * a matching {@link #value} for the provided {@link #name}, the test will be
- * enabled.
- * </p>
- * <p>
- * Note: {@code @IfProfileValue} can be applied at the class level, the method
- * level, or both. {@code @IfProfileValue} at the class level overrides
- * method-level usage of {@code @IfProfileValue} for any methods within that
- * class.
- * </p>
+ * Test annotation to indicate whether a test is enabled or disabled for a
+ * specific testing profile.
+ *
+ * <p>In the context of this annotation, the term <em>profile</em> refers to
+ * a Java system property by default; however, the semantics can be changed
+ * by implementing a custom {@link ProfileValueSource}. If the configured
+ * {@code ProfileValueSource} returns a matching {@link #value} for the
+ * declared {@link #name}, the test will be enabled. Otherwise, the test
+ * will be disabled and effectively <em>ignored</em>.
+ *
+ * <p>{@code @IfProfileValue} can be applied at the class level, the method
+ * level, or both. Class-level usage of {@code @IfProfileValue} takes
+ * precedence over method-level usage for any methods within that class or
+ * its subclasses. Specifically, a test is enabled if it is enabled both at
+ * the class level <em>and</em> at the method level; the absence of
+ * {@code @IfProfileValue} means the test is implicitly enabled. This is
+ * analogous to the semantics of JUnit's {@link org.junit.Ignore @Ignore}
+ * annotation, except that the presence of {@code @Ignore} always disables
+ * a test.
+ *
+ * <h3>Example</h3>
+ * When using {@link SystemProfileValueSource} as the {@code ProfileValueSource}
+ * implementation (which is configured by default), you can configure a test
+ * method to run only on Java VMs from Oracle as follows:
  *
- * <h3>Examples</h3>
- * <p>
- * When using {@link SystemProfileValueSource} as the {@link ProfileValueSource}
- * implementation, you can configure a test method to run only on Java VMs from
- * Sun Microsystems as follows:
- * </p>
  * <pre class="code">
- * &#064;IfProfileValue(name = &quot;java.vendor&quot;, value = &quot;Sun Microsystems Inc.&quot;)
+ * &#064;IfProfileValue(name = &quot;java.vendor&quot;, value = &quot;Oracle Corporation&quot;)
  * public void testSomething() {
- * 	// ...
- * }
- * </pre>
- * <p>
- * You can alternatively configure {@code @IfProfileValue} with <em>OR</em>
- * semantics for multiple {@link #values() values} as follows (assuming a
- * {@link ProfileValueSource} has been appropriately configured for the
- * &quot;test-groups&quot; name):
- * </p>
+ *     // ...
+ * }</pre>
+ *
+ * <h3>'OR' Semantics</h3>
+ * <p>You can alternatively configure {@code @IfProfileValue} with <em>OR</em>
+ * semantics for multiple {@link #values}. The following test will be enabled
+ * if a {@code ProfileValueSource} has been appropriately configured for the
+ * {@code "test-groups"} profile with a value of either {@code unit-tests}
+ * <em>or</em> {@code integration-tests}. This functionality is similar to
+ * TestNG's support for test <em>groups</em> and JUnit's experimental support
+ * for test <em>categories</em>.
  *
  * <pre class="code">
  * &#064;IfProfileValue(name = &quot;test-groups&quot;, values = { &quot;unit-tests&quot;, &quot;integration-tests&quot; })
  * public void testWhichRunsForUnitOrIntegrationTestGroups() {
- * 	// ...
- * }
- * </pre>
+ *     // ...
+ * }</pre>
+ *
+ * <h3>{@code @IfProfileValue} vs. {@code @Profile}</h3>
+ * <p>Although the {@code @IfProfileValue} and
+ * {@link org.springframework.context.annotation.Profile @Profile} annotations
+ * both involve <em>profiles</em>, they are not directly related. {@code @Profile}
+ * involves bean definition profiles configured in the
+ * {@link org.springframework.core.env.Environment Environment}; whereas,
+ * {@code @IfProfileValue} is used to enable or disable tests.
  *
+ * <h3>Meta-annotation Support</h3>
  * <p>As of Spring Framework 4.0, this annotation may be used as a
  * <em>meta-annotation</em> to create custom <em>composed annotations</em>.
  *
  * @author Rod Johnson
  * @author Sam Brannen
  * @since 2.0
  * @see ProfileValueSource
+ * @see SystemProfileValueSource
  * @see ProfileValueSourceConfiguration
  * @see ProfileValueUtils
  * @see org.springframework.test.context.junit4.AbstractJUnit4SpringContextTests
  * @see org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner
+ * @see org.springframework.test.context.junit4.statements.ProfileValueChecker
+ * @see org.springframework.context.annotation.Profile
+ * @see org.springframework.test.context.ActiveProfiles
  */
 @Documented
 @Inherited
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
-@Target( { ElementType.TYPE, ElementType.METHOD })
+@Target({ ElementType.TYPE, ElementType.METHOD })
 public @interface IfProfileValue {
 
 	/**
-	 * The {@code name} of the <em>profile value</em> against which to
-	 * test.
+	 * The {@code name} of the <em>profile value</em> against which to test.
 	 */
 	String name();
 
 	/**
 	 * A single, permissible {@code value} of the <em>profile value</em>
-	 * for the given {@link #name() name}.
-	 * <p>
-	 * Note: Assigning values to both {@link #value()} and {@link #values()}
+	 * for the given {@link #name}.
+	 *
+	 * <p>Note: Assigning values to both {@link #value} and {@link #values}
 	 * will lead to a configuration conflict.
 	 */
 	String value() default "";
 
 	/**
-	 * A list of all permissible {@code values} of the
-	 * <em>profile value</em> for the given {@link #name() name}.
-	 * <p>
-	 * Note: Assigning values to both {@link #value()} and {@link #values()}
+	 * A list of all permissible {@code values} of the <em>profile value</em>
+	 * for the given {@link #name}.
+	 *
+	 * <p>Note: Assigning values to both {@link #value} and {@link #values}
 	 * will lead to a configuration conflict.
 	 */
 	String[] values() default {};

src/asciidoc/testing.adoc

@@ -991,8 +991,15 @@ The following annotations are __only__ supported when used in conjunction with t
 
 Indicates that the annotated test is enabled for a specific testing environment. If the
 configured `ProfileValueSource` returns a matching `value` for the provided `name`, the
-test is enabled. This annotation can be applied to an entire class or to individual
-methods. Class-level usage overrides method-level usage.
+test is enabled. Otherwise, the test will be disabled and effectively _ignored_.
+
+`@IfProfileValue` can be applied at the class level, the method level, or both.
+Class-level usage of `@IfProfileValue` takes precedence over method-level usage for any
+methods within that class or its subclasses. Specifically, a test is enabled if it is
+enabled both at the class level _and_ at the method level; the absence of
+`@IfProfileValue` means the test is implicitly enabled. This is analogous to the
+semantics of JUnit's `@Ignore` annotation, except that the presence of `@Ignore` always
+disables a test.
 
 +