Reflection

Reflection enables Java code to discover information about the fields, methods and constructors of loaded classes, and to use reflected fields, methods, and constructors to operate on their underlying counterparts on objects, within security restrictions. The API accommodates applications that need access to either the public members of a target object (based on its runtime class) or the members declared by a given class.
The Java 1.2 platform allows programs to suppress default reflective access control.

Reflection Specification

Reflection Specification 1.1 (Not yet updated for 1.2)

Suppressing Reflective Access Control

Suppressing Reflective Access Control

Reflection API Specification
(javadoc)

java.lang.reflect Package

Java Software