Chapter 3

Programs and Packages

1
 Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
Java programs execute on the JVM.
The JVM is a virtual rather than a physical
machine, although the JVM has been
implemented in silicon.
The JVM is typically implemented as a run-
time interpreter that translates Java bytecode
instructions into native instruction codes,
which the host platform executes.
2
 Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
The java utility in the JDK provides the JVM
as a run-time interpreter.
The JVM provides a run-time environment
(runtime for short) that enables programs to
execute on a host platform.
The Java runtime can work with a security
manager to determine which operations a
program can perform on the host platform.
3
 Program types
Java has four program types, although the
differences among them are shallow.
The four types are:
Application
Applet
Servlet
Bean

4
 Application type
An application is a standalone program in
the sense of requiring only the JVM to
execute.
An application does not require a host
program such as a browser.
An application has main as its entry point.

5
 Applet type
An applet in the original sense is a small
program typically downloaded from a server
to a client machine.
A Web browser equipped with a JVM
typically acts as the host program for an
applet.
An applet is typically launched through an
HTML or equivalent document.
6
 Applet type
An applet typically operates under a strict
security manager, which imposes sandbox
security. Such security prevents an applet
from performing potentially dangerous
operations such as reading from or writing
to the local disk.
An applets class descends from the
standard Applet class.
7
 Servlet type
A servlet is a program that executes on a
server machine, typically to process a request
submitted from a client machine.
A servlets host program is typically a Web
server, which provides a JVM.
A servlet, like an applet, is typically launched
from a Web browser but, unlike an applet,
executes on the server.
8
 Servlet type
A servlet commonly performs database
operations and generates dynamic Web
content to displayed on a clients browser.
A servlets class either implements the
standard Servlet interface or descends
from a class that implements this interface.

9
 Bean type
A bean is a software component, that is, a
prebuilt software part that can be integrated
with others to build an application.
A bean typically has a distinct, special
purpose. Examples are calendar beans, login
beans, email beans, and so forth.
A beans class or an ancestor implements the
standard Serializable interface.
10
 Summary of program types
A given piece of Java code could, in
principle, belong to each program type.
Every applet is automatically a bean, for
instance.
The key point is that the very same
programming constructs are available
throughout the program types.

11
 Packages
Files with a .class extension are aggregated
into packages, or collections of related
classes.
Packages may contain subpackages to
arbitrary levels.
The primary package is java and its main
subpackage is lang.

12
 Packages
All classes in the java.lang package are
automatically imported into every program.
Programmers typically import classes
from packages to avoid using fully qualified
names. If a program imports the class
java.util.Date, the programmer then
can use Date instead of the fully qualified
name.
13
 Packages
The java and the javax packages are
standard packages.
The javax packages are extensions to the
earlier java packages.
The standard packages support string and
text processing, numeric computation,
networking, graphics, security, and so on.

14
 Packages
Packages can be used to resolve name conflicts.
The java.awt package has a List class and the
java.util package has a List interface. The
fully qualified names
java.awt.List
java.util.List
disambiguate.

15
 Packages
Every class belongs to a package.
The package to which a class belongs can
be explicitly declared with the package
statement in a source file.
A class belongs to a default unnamed
package if a containing package is not
explicitly declared.

16
 package statement
The package statement, if present, occurs as
the first uncommented line in a source file.
The source file Hi.java could begin
package hiPkg; // Note: 1st line
import java.util.Date;
class Hi {
...

17
 CLASSPATH Variable
Utilities such as the compiler and the run-
time interpreter can find standard packages
and the classes contained therein.
The CLASSPATH environment variable can
be set so that these utilities can find
programmer-defined classes in their
containing packages, whether explicitly
named or default.
18
 Subdirectories as subpackages
A hierarchical file system with directories
and subdirectories can be used to implement
packages and subpackages.
Suppose that directory MAIN contains a
subdirectory SUB. A source file in MAIN
could treat SUB as a subpackage and import
all of the classes therein with the command
import SUB.*;
19
 Summary of packages
Packages are a convenient way to group
related classes into software libraries.
Standard packages such as java.math do
precisely this.
For small programs and projects, default
packages are typically sufficient. Explicitly
named packages are especially useful for
large projects with many programmers.
20