# apiType

The <apiType> element specifies a type defined by the language itself that is part of the declared interface to this API item.

#### Description

This element requires the name and value attributes. The name attribute is a "type". Use the value attribute for the value of the flag, for example, "function", "interface" and other values.

For example, in Java API specialization the <apiType> element can be the <javaReturnPrimitive> element for a method, the <javaParamPrimitive> element for a parameter, or the <javaFieldPrimitive> for a field.

#### Example

The following example shows a simple <apiType> element for a Visual Basic method:

    <apiOperation id="com.ibm.xtools.rational.xde" outputclass=”IRXEAbstraction”>
       <apiOperationDetail>
          <apiReturnDef>
             <apiType name="type" value="function"/>
             <apiQualifier name="access" value="public"/>
          </apiReturnDef>
       </apiOperationDetail
    </apiOperation>

The following example shows a simple <apiType> element for a Visual Basic property:

    <apiValueDetail>
          <apiValueDef>
             <apiType name="type" value="interface"/>
             <apiQualifier name="access" value="public"/>
             <apiValueClassifier href="../IRXEModel.html" format="html">IRXEModel</apiValueClassifier>
             <apiRelation>IRXEAbstarction</apiRelation>
           </apiValueDef>
           <apiDesc><note>You must have an open read action before calling this property.</note></apiDesc>
       </apiValueDetail>

#### Contained by

apiClassifierDef, apiClassifierMember, apiConstructorDef, apiDef, apiDefItem, apiEvent, apiOperationDef, apiOperationDefItem, apiParam, apiReturn, apiSyntaxText, apiValueDef, apiValueMember

#### Content model

no content

#### Inheritance

topic/state reference/state

Parent topic: apiSyntaxText
Parent topic: apiDef
Parent topic: apiClassifierMember
Parent topic: apiClassifierDef
Parent topic: apiReturn
Parent topic: apiParam
Parent topic: apiEvent
Parent topic: apiOperationDefItem
Parent topic: apiOperationDef
Parent topic: apiConstructorDef
Parent topic: apiValueMember