What does '@' mean in regards to documenting code?

Question

I've seen '@' used and I cannot tell if it signifies a function, or a parameter or both, or even more things.

So I know it's a basic simple question, but what exactly does '@' signify when used in a comment block?

Answer 1

It's an annotation. It's used for example for the Javadoc standards, to specify tags (@author @version @param @return @deprecated @since @throws @exception @see @serial @serialField @serialData {@link})

Link for the Javadoc: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/documentation/index-137868.html