# HighlightAnnotation Class > Allows the user to highlight text appearing on a PDF page. - Product: Adobe PDF Library 18 - Language: Java - Version: APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e - HTML page: https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/HighlightAnnotation - Version index: https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/llms.txt ```java class HighlightAnnotation : TextMarkupAnnotation ``` **Namespace:** `com::datalogics::PDFL` **Inherits from:** [`TextMarkupAnnotation`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/TextMarkupAnnotation.md) ## Description Allows the user to highlight text appearing on a PDF page. The annotated text is still readable on the PDF, but highlighted in yellow. **Uses types:** [`Annotation`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Annotation.md), [`Color`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Color.md), [`Form`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Form.md), [`OptionalContentContext`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/OptionalContentContext.md), [`OptionalContentMembershipDict`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/OptionalContentMembershipDict.md), [`PDFDict`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/PDFDict.md), [`Page`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Page.md), [`Quad`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Quad.md), [`Rect`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Rect.md) ## Constructors ### HighlightAnnotation ```java com.datalogics.PDFL.HighlightAnnotation.HighlightAnnotation(Page page, int addAfter, java.util.List< Quad > quadList) ``` *constructor* **Parameters** - `page` ([`Page`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Page.md)): The page to which the HighlightAnnotation is added. - `addAfter` (`int`): Where to add the annotation in the page's annotation array. - `quadList` ([`java.util.List< Quad >`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Quad.md)): A list of quads to highlight. Each quad encompasses a word or group of contiguous words in the text underlying the annotation. Create a new HighlightAnnotation at a specific index in the page's annotation array. To add the annotation to the end of the array, pass a value of -2 or use the alternate version of this constructor that does not take an index (this is generally what you should do unless you have a need to place the annotation at a special location in the array). Passing a value of -1 adds the annotation to the beginning of the array. Passing other negative values produces undefined results. ### HighlightAnnotation ```java com.datalogics.PDFL.HighlightAnnotation.HighlightAnnotation(Page page, java.util.List< Quad > quadList) ``` *constructor* **Parameters** - `page` ([`Page`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Page.md)): The page to which the HighlightAnnotation is added. - `quadList` ([`java.util.List< Quad >`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Quad.md)): A list of quads to highlight. Each quad encompasses a word or group of contiguous words in the text underlying the annotation. Create a new HighlightAnnotation at the end of a page's annotation array. To create a FreeTextAnnotation and place it elsewhere in the page's annotation array, use the version of the constructor that takes an array position. ## Methods ### delete ```java synchronized void com.datalogics.PDFL.HighlightAnnotation.delete(Boolean disposing) ``` *protected* **Parameters** - `disposing` (`Boolean`) **Returns:** `synchronized void` ### delete ```java synchronized void com.datalogics.PDFL.HighlightAnnotation.delete() ``` **Returns:** `synchronized void` ### equals ```java boolean com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.equals(Object rhs) ``` **Parameters** - `rhs` (`Object`) **Returns:** `boolean` ### finalize ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.HighlightAnnotation.finalize() ``` *protected* **Returns:** `void` ### generateAppearance ```java Form com.datalogics.PDFL.HighlightAnnotation.generateAppearance() ``` **Returns:** [`Form`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Form.md) A new Form object representing the highlight appearance. The caller takes ownership of the returned object. Generate a new appearance stream for this highlight annotation. Creates a Form containing filled quadrilateral paths for each quad in the annotation, using the annotation's color with a Multiply blend mode. The current opacity setting is applied to the appearance if it is less than fully opaque. ### getAnnotatedText ```java String com.datalogics.PDFL.TextMarkupAnnotation.getAnnotatedText(boolean splitLines) ``` **Parameters** - `splitLines` (`boolean`): If true, text corresponding to each quadrilateral will be separated by CRLF characters. If false, text corresponding to each quadrilateral will be separated by spaces. **Returns:** `String` The text marked by the annotation. The text that is marked by the annotation. Marked text is defined as text which falls within one or more of the quadrilaterals specified by the annotation's QuadPoints entry. If the annotation marks partial words, only those portions of the word that are bounded within the QuadPoints array will be returned. If the annotation marks partial characters, the characters that fall partially within the annotation bounds may not be returned. ### getAnnotationFeatureLevel ```java double com.datalogics.PDFL.TextMarkupAnnotation.getAnnotationFeatureLevel() ``` **Returns:** `double` The minimum PDF version necessary to support the features used in this annotation. ### getColor ```java Color com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getColor() ``` **Returns:** [`Color`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Color.md) The annotation's color. The color of the annotation. ### getContents ```java String com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getContents() ``` **Returns:** `String` The annotation's text contents. The text contents of the annotation. The text to be displayed for the annotation or, if this type of annotation does not display text, an alternate description of the annotation's contents in human-readable form. ### getFlags ```java java.util.EnumSet< AnnotationFlags > com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getFlags() ``` **Returns:** `java.util.EnumSet< AnnotationFlags >` The annotation's flags. The flags for the annotation. ### getInteriorColor ```java Color com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getInteriorColor() ``` **Returns:** [`Color`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Color.md) The interior fill color, or null if no interior color is set. The interior color with which to fill the annotation's rectangle or circle. The color of the border itself can be retrieved from Annotation.Color. ### getNormalAppearance ```java Form com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getNormalAppearance() ``` **Returns:** [`Form`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Form.md) A Form representing the annotation's normal appearance, or null if no normal appearance has been set. The normal appearance of the annotation, represented as a Form XObject. ### getOpacity ```java double com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getOpacity() ``` **Returns:** `double` The opacity value for this annotation. The constant opacity value used in painting a Markup annotation. Opacity is a range from 0.0 (fully transparent) to 1.0 (fully opaque). ### getOptionalContentMembershipDict ```java OptionalContentMembershipDict com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getOptionalContentMembershipDict() ``` **Returns:** [`OptionalContentMembershipDict`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/OptionalContentMembershipDict.md) the OptionalContentMembershipDict The OptionalContentMembershipDict property for this Annotation. Setting this property will attach the Annotation to an OptionalContentMembershipDict; it will then be associated with the OptionalContentGroups and be subject to the VisibilityPolicy and VisibilityExpression of that MembershipDict. By setting this property to null, the Annotation is detached from any OptionalContentMembershipDict. ### getPDFDict ```java PDFDict com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getPDFDict() ``` **Returns:** [`PDFDict`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/PDFDict.md) The PDFDict associated with this annotation. The underlying PDF dictionary for this annotation. Retrieves the PDFDict representation of this annotation object. ### getQuads ```java java.util.List< Quad > com.datalogics.PDFL.TextMarkupAnnotation.getQuads() ``` **Returns:** [`java.util.List< Quad >`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Quad.md) A list of quads to mark. Each quad encompasses a word or group of contiguous words in the text underlying the annotation. ### getRect ```java Rect com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getRect() ``` **Returns:** [`Rect`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Rect.md) The annotation's bounding rectangle in user space coordinates. The size and location of the annotation on its page. ### getSubtype ```java String com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getSubtype() ``` **Returns:** `String` The subtype string (e.g. "Circle", "Square", "Line"). The annotation's subtype. ### getTitle ```java String com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.getTitle() ``` **Returns:** `String` The title string. The title of the annotation. ### hasRichTextData ```java boolean com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.hasRichTextData() ``` **Returns:** `boolean` true if the annotation contains Rich Text String content. Checks the annotation for Rich Text String content (PDFReference 1.7 Section 8.6.2). Annotations that contain Rich Text String content and do not have a normal appearance set will not be visible when rendering the page. ### isCurrentlyVisible ```java boolean com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.isCurrentlyVisible(OptionalContentContext occ) ``` **Parameters** - `occ` ([`OptionalContentContext`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/OptionalContentContext.md)): The optional content context in which to check visibility. **Returns:** `boolean` true if the annotation is currently visible. Tests whether an annotation is visible in a given optional content context, considering the current ON-OFF states of the optional-content groups in the optional-content dictionary (OCMD) and the dictionary's visibility policy. If the annotation occurs more than once within the content, this method only checks the visibility of the first occurrence of the annotation. This method determines visibility without considering the visbility of the Content object that the annotation belongs to. To determine the visibility of an annotation while taking the Content's visibility into consideration, use the alternate version of this method. ### setAnnotationFeatureLevel ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.TextMarkupAnnotation.setAnnotationFeatureLevel(double featureLevel) ``` **Parameters** - `featureLevel` (`double`) **Returns:** `void` Removes features not supported in the supplied version number. ### setColor ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setColor(Color color) ``` **Parameters** - `color` ([`Color`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Color.md)): The new color to set. **Returns:** `void` The color of the annotation. ### setContents ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setContents(String contents) ``` **Parameters** - `contents` (`String`): The new text contents. **Returns:** `void` The text contents of the annotation. The text to be displayed for the annotation or, if this type of annotation does not display text, an alternate description of the annotation's contents in human-readable form. ### setFlags ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setFlags(java.util.EnumSet< AnnotationFlags > flags) ``` **Parameters** - `flags` (`java.util.EnumSet< AnnotationFlags >`): The new annotation flags to set. **Returns:** `void` The flags for the annotation. ### setInteriorColor ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setInteriorColor(Color color) ``` **Parameters** - `color` ([`Color`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Color.md)): The new interior fill color. Pass null to remove the interior color. **Returns:** `void` The interior color with which to fill the annotation's rectangle or circle. Only RGB colors are allowed. The color of the border itself can be retrieved from Annotation.Color. ### setNormalAppearance ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setNormalAppearance(Form form) ``` **Parameters** - `form` ([`Form`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Form.md)): The Form to use as the annotation's normal appearance. **Returns:** `void` The normal appearance of the annotation, represented as a Form XObject. ### setOpacity ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setOpacity(double opacityValue) ``` **Parameters** - `opacityValue` (`double`): The new opacity value to set. **Returns:** `void` The constant opacity value used in painting a Markup annotation. Opacity is a range from 0.0 (fully transparent) to 1.0 (fully opaque). ### setOptionalContentMembershipDict ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setOptionalContentMembershipDict(OptionalContentMembershipDict ocmd) ``` **Parameters** - `ocmd` ([`OptionalContentMembershipDict`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/OptionalContentMembershipDict.md)): the OptionalContentMembershipDict **Returns:** `void` The OptionalContentMembershipDict property for this Annotation. Setting this property will attach the Annotation to an OptionalContentMembershipDict; it will then be associated with the OptionalContentGroups and be subject to the VisibilityPolicy and VisibilityExpression of that MembershipDict. By setting this property to null, the Annotation is detached from any OptionalContentMembershipDict. ### setQuads ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.TextMarkupAnnotation.setQuads(java.util.List< Quad > theQuads) ``` **Parameters** - `theQuads` ([`java.util.List< Quad >`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Quad.md)) **Returns:** `void` A list of quads to mark. Each quad encompasses a word or group of contiguous words in the text underlying the annotation. ### setRect ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setRect(Rect rect) ``` **Parameters** - `rect` ([`Rect`](https://docs.datalogics.com/apdfl18/Java/APDFL18.0.5PlusP2e/class/Rect.md)): The new bounding rectangle in user space coordinates. **Returns:** `void` The size and location of the annotation on its page. ### setTitle ```java void com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.setTitle(String title) ``` **Parameters** - `title` (`String`): The new title string. **Returns:** `void` The title of the annotation. ### toString ```java String com.datalogics.PDFL.Annotation.toString() ``` **Returns:** `String` A string describing this annotation, including its type and rectangle. Returns a string representation of this annotation.