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Java - Packages
Java Packages
Packages are used in Java in order to prevent naming conflicts, control access, make
searching/locating and usage of classes, interfaces, enumerations, and annotations
easier, etc.
A Java package can be defined as a grouping of related types (classes, interfaces,
enumerations, and annotations ) providing access protection and namespace
management.
Types of Java Packages
Java packages are of two types:
Built-in Java Packages
User-defined Java Packages
Some of the existing packages in Java are −
java.lang − bundles the fundamental classes
java.io − classes for input , output functions are bundled in this package
User-defined Java Packages
You can define your own packages to bundle groups of classes/interfaces, etc. It is a
good practice to group related classes implemented by you so that a programmer can
easily determine that the classes, interfaces, enumerations, and annotations are related.
Since the package creates a new namespace there won't be any name conflicts with
names in other packages. Using packages, it is easier to provide access control and it is
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also easier to locate the related classes.
Creating a Java Package
While creating a package, you should choose a name for the package and include a
package statement along with that name at the top of every source file that contains
the classes, interfaces, enumerations, and annotation types that you want to include in
the package.
The package statement should be the first line in the source file. There can be only one
package statement in each source file, and it applies to all types in the file.
If a package statement is not used then the class, interfaces, enumerations, and
annotation types will be placed in the current default package.
Compiling with Java Package
To compile the Java programs with package statements, you have to use -d option as
shown below.
javac -d Destination_folder file_name.java
Then a folder with the given package name is created in the specified destination, and
the compiled class files will be placed in that folder.
Java Package Example
Let us look at an example that creates a package called animals. It is a good practice to
use names of packages with lower case letters to avoid any conflicts with the names of
classes and interfaces.
Following package example contains interface named animals −
/* File name : Animal.java */
package animals;
interface Animal {
public void eat();
public void travel();
}
Now, let us implement the above interface in the same package animals −
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Open Compiler
package animals;
/* File name : MammalInt.java */
public class MammalInt implements Animal {
public void eat() {
System.out.println("Mammal eats");
}
public void travel() {
System.out.println("Mammal travels");
}
public int noOfLegs() {
return 0;
}
public static void main(String args[]) {
MammalInt m = new MammalInt();
m.eat();
m.travel();
}
}
interface Animal {
public void eat();
public void travel();
}
Output
Now compile the java files as shown below −
$ javac -d . Animal.java
$ javac -d . MammalInt.java
Now a package/folder with the name animals will be created in the current directory
and these class files will be placed in it as shown below.
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You can execute the class file within the package and get the result as shown below.
Mammal eats
Mammal travels
Importing Java Package
If a class wants to use another class in the same package, the package name need not
be used. Classes in the same package find each other without any special syntax.
Example
Here, a class named Boss is added to the payroll package that already contains
Employee. The Boss can then refer to the Employee class without using the payroll
prefix, as demonstrated by the following Boss class.
package payroll;
public class Boss {
public void payEmployee(Employee e) {
e.mailCheck();
}
}
What happens if the Employee class is not in the payroll package? The Boss class must
then use one of the following techniques for referring to a class in a different package.
The fully qualified name of the class can be used. For example −
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payroll.Employee
The package can be imported using the import keyword and the wild card (*). For
example −
import payroll.*;
The class itself can be imported using the import keyword. For example −
import payroll.Employee;
Example
package payroll;
public class Employee {
public void mailCheck() {
System.out.println("Pay received.");
}
}
Example
package payroll;
import payroll.Employee;
public class Boss {
public void payEmployee(Employee e) {
e.mailCheck();
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Boss boss = new Boss();
Employee e = new Employee();
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boss.payEmployee(e);
}
}
Output
Pay received.
Note − A class file can contain any number of import statements. The import statements
must appear after the package statement and before the class declaration.
Directory Structure of a Java Package
Two major results occur when a class is placed in a package −
The name of the package becomes a part of the name of the class, as we just
discussed in the previous section.
The name of the package must match the directory structure where the
corresponding bytecode resides.
Here is simple way of managing your files in Java −
Put the source code for a class, interface, enumeration, or annotation type in a text file
whose name is the simple name of the type and whose extension is .java.
For example −
// File Name : Car.java
package vehicle;
public class Car {
// Class implementation.
}
Now, put the source file in a directory whose name reflects the name of the package to
which the class belongs −
....\vehicle\Car.java
Now, the qualified class name and pathname would be as follows −
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Class name → vehicle.Car
Path name → vehicle\Car.java (in windows)
In general, a company uses its reversed Internet domain name for its package names.
Example − A company's Internet domain name is apple.com, then all its package
names would start with com.apple. Each component of the package name corresponds to
a subdirectory.
Example − The company had a com.apple.computers package that contained a
Dell.java source file, it would be contained in a series of subdirectories like this −
....\com\apple\computers\Dell.java
At the time of compilation, the compiler creates a different output file for each class,
interface and enumeration defined in it. The base name of the output file is the name of
the type, and its extension is .class.
For example −
// File Name: Dell.java
package com.apple.computers;
public class Dell {
}
class Ups {
}
Now, compile this file as follows using -d option −
$javac -d . Dell.java
The files will be compiled as follows −
.\com\apple\computers\Dell.class
.\com\apple\computers\Ups.class
You can import all the classes or interfaces defined in \com\apple\computers\ as follows
−
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import com.apple.computers.*;
Like the .java source files, the compiled .class files should be in a series of directories
that reflect the package name. However, the path to the .class files does not have to be
the same as the path to the .java source files. You can arrange your source and class
directories separately, as −
<path-one>\sources\com\apple\computers\Dell.java
<path-two>\classes\com\apple\computers\Dell.class
By doing this, it is possible to give access to the classes directory to other programmers
without revealing your sources. You also need to manage source and class files in this
manner so that the compiler and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) can find all the types
your program uses.
The full path to the classes directory, <path-two>\classes, is called the class path, and is
set with the CLASSPATH system variable. Both the compiler and the JVM construct the
path to your .class files by adding the package name to the class path.
Say <path-two>\classes is the class path, and the package name is
com.apple.computers, then the compiler and JVM will look for .class files in <path-
two>\classes\com\apple\computers.
A class path may include several paths. Multiple paths should be separated by a
semicolon (Windows) or colon (Unix). By default, the compiler and the JVM search the
current directory and the JAR file containing the Java platform classes so that these
directories are automatically in the class path.
Set CLASSPATH System Variable
To display the current CLASSPATH variable, use the following commands in Windows and
UNIX (Bourne shell) −
In Windows → C:\> set CLASSPATH
In UNIX → % echo $CLASSPATH
To delete the current contents of the CLASSPATH variable, use −
In Windows → C:\> set CLASSPATH =
In UNIX → % unset CLASSPATH; export CLASSPATH
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To set the CLASSPATH variable −
In Windows → set CLASSPATH = C:\users\jack\java\classes
In UNIX → % CLASSPATH = /home/jack/java/classes; export CLASSPATH
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