enum Color { RED, GREEN, AMBER } @interface TrafficLight { Color value() default Color.RED; } public class Broken1 { public static void main(String[] args) { } } class Marked { public void a() {} @TrafficLight public void b() {} @TrafficLight(Color.RED) public void c() {} @TrafficLight(Color.GREEN) public void d() {} } aspect X { pointcut p1(): execution(@TrafficLight(a) * *(..)); // value of just 'a' doesn't mean anything - only enums supported right now, let's say 'invalid annotation value' }