The Java Class Library

　

 Java contains an extensive library of pre-written classes you can use in your programs. These classes are divided into groups called packages.

The Java 1.1 packages

  • java.applet
  • java.awt
  • java.awt.datatransfer
  • java.awt.event
  • java.awt.image
  • java.awt.peer
  • java.beans
  • java.io
  • java.lang
  • java.lang.reflect
  • java.math
  • java.net
  • java.rmi
  • java.rmi.dgc
  • java.rmi.registry
  • java.rmi.server
  • java.security
  • java.security.acl
  • java.security.interfaces
  • java.sql
  • java.text
  • java.util
  • java.util.zip

Each package defines a number of classes, interfaces, exceptions, and errors.

Packages can be split into sub-packages. for example, the java.lang package has a sub-package called java.lang.reflect. These are really completely different packages. A class in a sub-package has no more access to a class in the parent package (or vice versa) than it would to a class in a completely different package.

Documentation for the class library

Javasoft provides a large amount of documentation for the classes, interface's and exceptions in the class library. If you've installed the JDK on your own PC, you'll find this in your JDK directory in docs/api/packages.html You can load that file into a web browser, and peruse the entire library.

If you have not installed the JDK, you can find it online at

http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.1/docs/api/packages.html

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