Java Package
Java Package
Java Package
1. Java Package
2. Example of package
3. Accessing package
1. By import packagename.*
2. By import packagename.classname
3. By fully qualified name
4. Subpackage
5. Sending class file to another directory
6. -classpath switch
7. 4 ways to load the class file or jar file
8. How to put two public class in a package
9. Static Import
10. Package class
Package in java can be categorized in two form, built-in package and user-
defined package.
There are many built-in packages such as java, lang, awt, javax, swing, net,
io, util, sql etc.
Here, we will have the detailed learning of creating and using user-defined
packages.
1. //save as Simple.java
2. package mypack;
3. public class Simple{
4. public static void main(String args[]){
5. System.out.println("Welcome to package");
6. }
7. }
For example
1. javac -d . Simple.java
The -d switch specifies the destination where to put the generated class file.
You can use any directory name like /home (in case of Linux), d:/abc (in
case of windows) etc. If you want to keep the package within the same
directory, you can use . (dot).
The -d is a switch that tells the compiler where to put the class file i.e. it
represents destination. The . represents the current folder.
1. import package.*;
2. import package.classname;
3. fully qualified name.
1) Using packagename.*
If you use package.* then all the classes and interfaces of this package will
be accessible but not subpackages.
The import keyword is used to make the classes and interface of another
package accessible to the current package.
1. //save by B.java
2. package mypack;
3. import pack.*;
4.
5. class B{
6. public static void main(String args[]){
7. A obj = new A();
8. obj.msg();
9. }
10. }
Output:Hello
2) Using packagename.classname
If you import package.classname then only declared class of this package
will be accessible.
1. //save by B.java
2. package mypack;
3. import pack.A;
4.
5. class B{
6. public static void main(String args[]){
7. A obj = new A();
8. obj.msg();
9. }
10. }
Output:Hello
It is generally used when two packages have same class name e.g. java.util
and java.sql packages contain Date class.
1. //save by B.java
2. package mypack;
3. class B{
4. public static void main(String args[]){
5. pack.A obj = new pack.A();//using fully qualified name
6. obj.msg();
7. }
8. }
Output:Hello
If you import a package, all the classes and interface of that package will be
imported excluding the classes and interfaces of the subpackages. Hence,
you need to import the subpackage as well.
Let's take an example, Sun Microsystem has definded a package named java
that contains many classes like System, String, Reader, Writer, Socket etc.
These classes represent a particular group e.g. Reader and Writer classes
are for Input/Output operation, Socket and ServerSocket classes are for
networking etc and so on. So, Sun has subcategorized the java package into
subpackages such as lang, net, io etc. and put the Input/Output related
classes in io package, Server and ServerSocket classes in net packages and
so on.
Example of Subpackage
1. package com.javatpoint.core;
2. class Simple{
3. public static void main(String args[]){
4. System.out.println("Hello subpackage");
5. }
6. }
1. //save as Simple.java
2. package mypack;
3. public class Simple{
4. public static void main(String args[]){
5. System.out.println("Welcome to package");
6. }
7. }
To Compile:
e:\sources> javac -d c:\classes Simple.java
To Run:
To run this program from e:\source directory, you need to set classpath of
the directory where the class file resides.
e:\sources> set classpath=c:\classes;.;
e:\sources> java mypack.Simple
To run this program from e:\source directory, you can use -classpath switch
of java that tells where to look for class file. For example:
Output:Welcome to package
There are two ways to load the class files temporary and permanent.
o Temporary
o By setting the classpath in the command prompt
o By -classpath switch
o Permanent
o By setting the classpath in the environment variables
o By creating the jar file, that contains all the class files, and
copying the jar file in the jre/lib/ext folder.
Rule: There can be only one public class in a java source file and it must be
saved by the public class name.
If you want to put two public classes in a package, have two java source
files containing one public class, but keep the package name same. For
example:
1. //save as A.java
2.
3. package javatpoint;
4. public class A{}
1. //save as B.java
2.
3. package javatpoint;
4. public class B{}