title: Is @ParametersAreNonnullByDefault applies to method return values too?
body: <p>The <a href="http://jsr-305.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/javadoc/javax/annotation/ParametersAreNonnullByDefault.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">documentation for <code>@ParametersAreNonnullByDefault</code></a> says, that:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>This annotation can be applied to a package, class or method to indicate that <strong>the method parameters</strong> in that element are nonnull by default unless ...</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I don't consider a method's return type/value to be it's parameter. It is only part of its signature, so this is kind of ambiguous for me.</p>
  
  <p>The <a href="http://download.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/javaOO/methods.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Java tutorial for methods</a> seems to think like me.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>As <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/users/40342/joachim-sauer">Joachim Sauer</a> pointed out for me in the comments section of his <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7658353/is-parametersarenonnullbydefault-applies-to-method-return-values-too/7658375#7658375">answer</a>, the name <code>@ParametersAreNonnullByDefault</code> (<strong>parameters</strong>) should've clearly indicated for me that this annotation doesn't apply to methods' return types/values. I was blind! :) Thanks Joachim!</p>
  
  <p>In light of this I can only says that an <code>@EverythingIsNonnullByDefault</code> should exist somwhere. :)</p>