Name: 'Javadoc Lens'
Author: 'nobuyuki-inaba'

A VS Code extension that reads Javadoc comments directly from Java source files and renders them as HTML in the bottom panel in real time.

Screenshot

日本語版 README はこちら

Features

Automatically displays the Javadoc for the method, class, or field under the cursor
Renders HTML tags such as <table>, <b>, and <pre> as-is
Supports inline tags: {@code}, {@link}, {@literal}
Formats block tags — @param, @return, @throws, @deprecated — into readable sections
Follows definition jumps to show Javadoc for symbols defined in other files
Renders Markdown documentation comments (///, JEP 467, Java 23+) as CommonMark — headings, lists, tables, and fenced code blocks all display correctly. Block tags, inline tags, and element reference links ([java.util.List]) are supported; Markdown reference-style links ([label][ref]) are not converted to Javadoc references
UI labels (Parameters, Returns, Throws, …) follow VS Code's display language, with a Japanese translation bundled
Renders {@snippet} (JEP 413) as a code block. @highlight / @replace / @link markup is stripped rather than applied. The closing } must be on its own line; external file/class references (file=, class=) are not supported
Resolves {@inheritDoc} by looking up the immediate superclass/interface's same-named method via VS Code's Type Hierarchy API. Requires a Java language server that implements type hierarchy (e.g. Red Hat's Language Support for Java) and the project to be opened as a folder (File > Open Folder) — opening a single .java file gives the language server no visibility into other files, so it can't resolve implements/extends relationships. Only one level up is followed, and overloaded methods aren't disambiguated. If resolution fails for any reason, {@inheritDoc} is silently omitted rather than shown broken
{@link}, {@value}, and element reference links are clickable — clicking jumps to the referenced class or member. Resolution is best-effort (via VS Code's workspace/document symbol search); an unresolvable reference simply does nothing when clicked
Pin the panel (title bar button) to stop it from following the cursor, for comparing two pieces of Javadoc side by side
Back / Forward buttons in the title bar step through recently viewed Javadoc (last 20 entries)

Usage

Open a Java file
Select the JAVADOC LENS tab in the bottom panel
Move the cursor to any method or class with a Javadoc comment — the panel updates automatically

If the panel is not visible, run Javadoc Lens: Open Settings from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).