Defining Packages Package Scope The import Statement Static Imports CLASSPATH and Import What is Package? Packages in Java is a mechanism to encapsulate a group of classes, interfaces and sub packages.
Many implementations of Java use a hierarchical file
system to manage source and class files Advantages of using a package Reusability
Easy to locate the files.
Packages are a way of avoiding “name-space
collisions”.
Java package provides access protection.
Types of Packages 1) Built-in package
2) User defined package
Steps for Creating package Choose the appropriate package name, the package name must be a JAVA valid variable name.
The package statement must be first executable
statement.
Choose the appropriate class name or interface name
and whose modifier must be public.
The modifier of the methods of class name or interface
name must be public.
At any point of time either place a class or an interface in
a package and give the file name as class name or interface name with extension .java Example of package package mypack class Book { String bookname; String author; Book(String b, String c) { this.bookname = b; this.author = c; } public void show() { System.out.println(bookname+" "+ author); } } Example of package class Test { public static void main(String[] args) { Book bk = new Book("java","Herbert"); bk.show(); } }
Points to remember: At most one package declaration can appear in a source file.
The package declaration must be the first statement in
the unit. Steps for Compiling a Package program Create a directory under your current working development directory(i.e. JDK directory), name it as your specified package name(ex : mypack) Compile the source file Put the class file into the directory you have created. Execute the program from development directory. Syntax for compiling a package: javac –d . filename.java For example: javac –d . Test.java Naming Convention Package names are written in all lower case to avoid conflict with the names of classes or interfaces.
Companies use their reversed Internet domain
name to begin their package names— for example, com.example.mypackage for a package named mypackage import keyword import keyword is used to import built-in and user-defined packages into your java source file. So that your class can refer to a class that is in another package by directly using its name. There are 3 different ways to refer to class that is present in different package
Using fully qualified name
class MyDate extends java.util.Date { //statement; } import the only class you want to use. import java.util.Date; class MyDate extends Date { //statement. } import all the classes from the particular package import java.util.*; class MyDate extends Date { //statement; } Using static import There are situations where you need frequent access to static final fields (constants) and static methods from one or two classes. Prefixing the name of these classes over and over can result in cluttered code. The static import statement gives you a way to import the constants and static methods that you want to use so that you do not need to prefix the name of their class. Example: import static java.lang.Math.PI; CLASSPATH The CLASSPATH environment variable tells the Java Virtual Machine and other Java applications where to find the class libraries, including user-defined class libraries.
The CLASSPATH environment variable is set with the
set command. set CLASSPATH=path1;path2 ... set CLASSPATH=C:\java\MyClasses
The paths should begin with the letter specifying the
drive, for example, C:\... Interview Questions What is a Java package and how is it used?
How the concept of packages achieves access-protection?
Which package is always imported by default?
Does importing a package imports the sub packages as
well?
What are the practical benefits, if any, of importing a specific
class rather than an entire package (e.g. import java.util.* versus import import java.util.Arrays)? Any Questions
