# apiOperationClassifier

The <apiOperationClassifier> element identifies a returned value that is an instance of a classifier, for example, the class of the returned object.

#### Description

The <apiOperationClassifier> is not restricted to the type of return values; it can be the type of a parameter or event. It is a return value only when it appears within <apiReturn>. This element can provide an href attribute if the description of the API item is available. If the description is not available, the <apiOperationClassifier> element can provide the name of the API item in its contents.

- If you use an href attribute to a DITA API topic that describes the related API item, you do not need any other attributes.

- If you provide an href attribute to some other format (such as HTML), you need to provide the name of the related API item inside the <apiOperationClassifier> element.

- If you cannot provide an href attribute (for instance, if the description of the related API item might not be available), you must provide the name of the related API item inside the <apiOperationClassifier> element and the fully qualified name of the element in the keyref attribute. The keyref attribute must provide a unique key such as a fully qualified classifier name for the named API item.

#### Example

The following example shows an <apiOperationClassifier> item for a Visual Basic method:

    <apiOperation id="rational.xde.getApplicableStereotypesAsString">
       <apiName>getApplicableStereotypesAsString</apiName>
       <shortDesc>Returns a string that specifies the stereotype associated with the element.</shortDesc>
       <apiOperationDetail>
         <apiOperationDef>
          <apiImpl>Method</apiImpl>
              <apiType name="type" value="Function"/>
              <apiQualifier name="access" value="public"/>
              <apiOperationClassifier href=”String.dita”>String</apiOperationClassifier>
              <apiDefNote>Returns a string that specifies the stereotypes.</apiDefNote>
          </apiOperationDef>
          <apiDesc>This property searches all the profiles in the model.</apiDesc>
        </apiOperationDetail>
     </apiOperation>

#### Contained by

apiConstructorDef, apiEvent, apiOperationDef, apiOperationDefItem, apiParam, apiReturn

#### Content model

(text data) (any number)

#### Inheritance

topic/xref reference/xref apiRef/apiRelation

Parent topic: apiReturn
Parent topic: apiParam
Parent topic: apiEvent
Parent topic: apiOperationDefItem
Parent topic: apiOperationDef