Java Package

A java package is a group of similar types of classes, interfaces and sub-packages.

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.

Advantage of Java Package

1) Java package is used to categorize the classes and interfaces so that they can be easily maintained.

2) Java package provides access protection.

3) Java package removes naming collision.

Simple example of java package

The package keyword is used to create a package in java.

//save as Simple.java

package mypack;

public class Simple{

public static void main(String args[]){

System.out.println("Welcome to package");

javac -d directory javafilename

For example

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).

How to run java package program

You need to use fully qualified name e.g. mypack.Simple etc to run the class.

To Compile: javac -d . Simple.java

To Run: java mypack.Simple

Output:Welcome to package

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.
How to access package from another package?
There are three ways to access the package from outside the package.

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.

Example of package that import the packagename.*

//save by A.java

package pack;

public class A{

public void msg(){System.out.println("Hello");}

//save by B.java

package mypack;

import pack.*;

class B{

public static void main(String args[]){

A obj = new A();

obj.msg();
 }

Output:Hello

2) Using packagename.classname
If you import package.classname then only declared class of this package will be accessible.

Example of package by import package.classname

//save by A.java

package pack;

public class A{

public void msg(){System.out.println("Hello");}

//save by B.java

package mypack;

import pack.A;

class B{

public static void main(String args[]){

A obj = new A();

obj.msg();

}
Output:Hello

3) Using fully qualified name

If you use fully qualified name then only declared class of this package will be accessible. Now there is
no need to import. But you need to use fully qualified name every time when you are accessing the
class or interface.

It is generally used when two packages have same class name e.g. java.util and java.sql packages
contain Date class.

Example of package by import fully qualified name

//save by A.java

package pack;

public class A{

public void msg(){System.out.println("Hello");}

//save by B.java

package mypack;

class B{

public static void main(String args[]){

pack.A obj = new pack.A();//using fully qualified name

obj.msg();

Output:Hello
Note: If you import a package, subpackages will not be imported.

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.

Note: Sequence of the program must be package then import then class.

Subpackage in java
Package inside the package is called the subpackage. It should be created to categorize the
package further.

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.

The standard of defining package is domain.company.package e.g. com.javapoint.bean or

org.sssit.dao.

Example of Subpackage
package com.javapoint.core;
class Simple{

public static void main(String args[]){

System.out.println("Hello subpackage");

To Compile: javac -d . Simple.java

To Run: java com.javapoint.core.Simple

Output:Hello subpackage

How to send the class file to another directory or drive?

There is a scenario, I want to put the class file of A.java source file in classes folder of c: drive. For
example:

//save as Simple.java

package mypack;

public class Simple{

public static void main(String args[]){

System.out.println("Welcome to package");

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

Another way to run this program by -classpath switch of java:

The -classpath switch can be used with javac and java tool.

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:

e:\sources> java -classpath c:\classes mypack.Simple

Output:Welcome to package

Ways to load the class files or jar files

There are two ways to load the class files temporary and permanent.

 Temporary
o By setting the classpath in the command prompt
o By -classpath switch
 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.

//save as C.java otherwise Compilte Time Error

class A{}

class B{}

public class C{}

How to put two public classes in a package?

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:

//save as A.java
package javatpoint;

public class A{}

//save as B.java

package javatpoint;

public class B{}