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Java Reflection - Class.getDeclaringClass() Examples

[Last Updated: Oct 30, 2025]

Java Reflection Java Java API 

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Class:

java.lang.Class

java.lang.Objectjava.lang.Objectjava.lang.Classjava.lang.Classjava.io.SerializableSerializablejava.lang.reflect.GenericDeclarationGenericDeclarationjava.lang.reflect.TypeTypejava.lang.reflect.AnnotatedElementAnnotatedElementLogicBig

Method:

public Class<?> getDeclaringClass()
                           throws SecurityException
Returns:
the declaring class for this class


Examples


package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

public class GetDeclaringClassExample {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        Class<MyClass> c = MyClass.class;
        Class<?> declaringClass = c.getDeclaringClass();
        System.out.println(declaringClass);
    }

    private static class MyClass {}
}

Output

class com.logicbig.example.clazz.GetDeclaringClassExample




package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

public class GetDeclaringClassExample2 {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        Class<GetDeclaringClassExample2> c = GetDeclaringClassExample2.class;
        System.out.println(c.getDeclaringClass());
    }
}

Output

null




getEnclosingClass() returns non-null value.

package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

import java.io.Serializable;

public class GetDeclaringClassExample3 {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        //an anonymous class
        Class<? extends Serializable>
                aClass = new Serializable() {}.getClass();
        System.out.println(aClass.getDeclaringClass());

        Serializable s = new Serializable() {};
        System.out.println(s.getClass().getDeclaringClass());
    }
}

Output

null
null




package com.logicbig.example.clazz;

public class GetDeclaringClassExample4 {

    public static void main(String... args) {
        Class<MyClass.AnInnerInterface> c = MyClass.AnInnerInterface.class;
        Class<?> declaringClass = c.getDeclaringClass();
        System.out.println(declaringClass);
    }

    private static class MyClass {
        private static interface AnInnerInterface {}
    }
}

Output

class com.logicbig.example.clazz.GetDeclaringClassExample4$MyClass

See Also