Why do some folks use Class#method instead of Class.method in correspondence?

Question

When writing about methods in Java (i.e. in forums, mailing lists, issue trackers, etc.) many people separate the method name from the class name using the '#' symbol instead of Java's native . operator; for example, folks refer to Object#toString instead of Object.toString. Where does this syntax come from?

Answer 1

It's the notation used in javadoc comments when linking to another class' method.

EDIT

To gather the additional information provided in comments:

• @Hugo notes that the # notation in turn comes from HTML anchors
• @maksimov points out that Object.method is the Java syntax to call static methods, which could be misleading

UPDATE

Java 8 brings a new syntax for method references, which now seems to become more popular - so Object#toString tends to now be written Object::toString.