Possible Duplicate:
What’s “@Override” there for in java?
Since Java 1.5 this annotation was incorporated to the language to be used on methods that overwrite a superclass methods.
Now, what changes in a method that uses this annotation to one that doesn't use it? Is this just convention?
Assuming, obviously, that both be methods that overwrite a method from its superclass...
@Override creates a compile-time check that a method is being overridden.
This is very useful to make sure you do not have a silly signature issue when trying to override
It not only makes the compiler check but also documents the developer's intention.
if you override a method but don't use it anywhere from the type itself, someone coming to the code later may know the purpose. The annotation explains its purpose.
A good IDE will helpfully flag any method that overrides a method without @Override, so the combination of the two will help ensure that you're doing what you're trying to.
it also improves readability
