Eclipse Cookbook

3.3. Creating Java Packages

Problem

You want to put your code into a Java package.

Solution

Select File→ New→ Package, or right-click the Package Explorer in the Java perspective and select New→ Package. Alternatively, you can specify the package when you create a new class.

Discussion

In all but the most trivial projects, you usually put your Java code into a package. To create a new package, select a project in the Package Explorer and then select File→ New→ Package, or right-click the Package Explorer and select New→ Package. The New Java Package dialog appears, as shown in Figure 3-6. Enter the name of the new package, and click Finish. The new package will be added to the project in the Package Explorer.

Figure 3-6. Creating a new package

When the new package appears in the project, you can add classes to it by right-clicking it and selecting New→ Class.

Tip

Although you can create packages this way in Eclipse, usually you would create a package when you create a class (unless you’re purposely breaking up your project into multiple package.) Recipe 3.4 covers the process of creating a package when creating a class.

When you access a class in another package, you must import it using that class’s fully qualified name in your code:

               
                   import org.cookbook.ch03.DisplayApp;


public class DisplayApp {

    public static void main(String[] args){

                           DisplayApp display = new DisplayApp( );

               
                           display.print( ...