Java Reflection API: Inspect & Manipulate Code at Runtime A practical deep dive into one of Java's most powerful — and misunderstood — features Tags: #java #reflection #jvm #tutorial Table of Contents What is Reflection? Getting a Class Object Inspecting Fields, Methods & Constructors Invoking Methods Dynamically Accessing Private Members Annotations via Reflection Real-World Use Cases Performance & Pitfalls 1. What is Reflection? Java Reflection is the ability of a program to inspect and modify its own structure and behaviour at runtime . Through the java.lang.reflect package, you can examine classes, interfaces, fields, methods, and constructors — even if you don't know their names at compile time. Think of it as a mirror held up to your own code: you can look at what exists, read its metadata, and call it dynamically. 💡 When does it shine?…