diff --git a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ByteBufferedCell.java b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ByteBufferedCell.java
index 975e4c2..065bdf6 100644
--- a/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ByteBufferedCell.java
+++ b/hbase-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/ByteBufferedCell.java
@@ -22,17 +22,30 @@ import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.classification.InterfaceAudience;
/**
- * This class is a server side extension to the Cell interface. This is used when the actual Cell
- * implementation is backed by {@link ByteBuffer}. This class contain ByteBuffer backed getters for
- * row, cf, qualifier, value and tags. Also getters of the position where these field bytes begin. A
- * cell object can be of this type only in server side. When the object is of this type, use the
- * getXXXByteBuffer() method along with getXXXPositionInByteBuffer(). If cell is backed by off heap
- * ByteBuffer the call to getXXXArray() will result is temporary byte array creation and bytes copy
- * resulting in lot of garbage.
+ * This class is a server side extension to the {@link Cell} interface. It is used when the
+ * Cell is backed by a {@link ByteBuffer}: i.e. cell instanceof ByteBufferedCell.
+ *
+ *
This class has getters for the row, column family, column qualifier, value and tags hosting + * ByteBuffers. It also has getters of the *position* within a ByteBuffer where these + * field bytes begin. These are needed because a single ByteBuffer may back one or many Cell + * instances -- it depends on the implementation -- so the ByteBuffer position as returned by + * {@link ByteBuffer#arrayOffset()} cannot be relied upon. Also, do not confuse these position + * methods with the getXXXOffset methods from the super Interface, {@link Cell}; dependent up on + * implementation, the Cell getXXXOffset methods can return the same value as a call to its + * equivalent position method from below BUT they can also stray; if a ByteBufferedCell, use the + * below position methods to find where a field begins. + * + *
Use the getXXXLength methods from Cell to find a fields length. + * + *
A Cell object can be of this type only on the server side. + * + *
WARNING: If a Cell is backed by an offheap ByteBuffer, any call to getXXXArray() will result + * in a temporary byte array creation and a bytes copy. Avoid these allocations by using the + * appropriate Cell access server-side: i.e. ByteBufferedCell when backed by a ByteBuffer and Cell + * when it is not. */ @InterfaceAudience.Private public abstract class ByteBufferedCell implements Cell { - /** * @return The {@link ByteBuffer} containing the row bytes. */