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The cloning library is a small, open source (Apache licensed) Java library which deep-clones objects. The objects do not have to implement the Cloneable interface. Effectively, this library can clone ANY Java object. It can be used i.e. in cache implementations, if you don't want the cached object to be modified or whenever you want to create a deep copy of an object.

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package com.rits.cloning;

import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.TYPE;
import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME;

import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

/**
 * marks the specific class as immutable and the cloner avoids cloning it
 * 
 * @author kostantinos.kougios
 *
 * 24 Mar 2011
 */
@Target(TYPE)
@Retention(RUNTIME)
public @interface Immutable
{
	/**
	 * by default all subclasses of the @Immutable class are not immutable. This can override it.
	 * @return		true for subclasses of @Immutable class to be regarded as immutable from the cloner
	 */
	boolean subClass() default false;
}