on the subject of packaging

If you have a package with two classes and one class wants to use the other class do you have to import the package even though they are in the same package?

Nope. They'll both have the same "package x.y.z;" line, of course.

No you don't need to explicitly import it.

is there any kind of declaration you have to do so that classes in the same package can "see" each other, because I can not compile my class because it can't find my other classes. I have checked the classpath.

Let me guess. The next thing you guys will ask is "Can you post the code" so here it is

public class Rabbit {
 
//declare variables
private ShapeIcon photo; //picture to use
 
static int totalPop = 0; //total amount of rabbits alive at one time

static int rabbitsDead = 0; //amount of rabbits that died in current round
 
private Point location; //where the rabbit is located

public void draw(boolean isSame, SyncPoint[] points, Component page, Graphics davinci) {
//draws rabbit on screen tells weather or not to preserve current location 
//or make a new random one
 
int j = 0; //counter
boolean system = false; //flag
 
//find a random coordinate if nessecery
if(!isSame) { //start of if

while(true) { //start of infinite loop
int rndm = (int) (Math.random() * (points.length + 1));

//make sure that there are no rabbits already on those coordinates
//loops through 30 times then searches systematically
if(j == 30) {
system = true;
break;
} //end of if

if(points[rndm].getIsSame = false) { //start of if
location = new Point(points[rndm]);
break;
} //end of if

++j;
} //end of infinite loop

//systematically find empty coordinate
if(system) { //start of if
for (SyncPoint p : points) { //start of loop

if(!p.getIsSame) {//start of nested if
location = null;
location = new Point(p);
p.setIsSame = true;
break;
} //end of nested if
} //end of loop
if(location == null) {
System.out.println("array full, rabbit dead, overpopulation");
totalPop = totalPop - 1;
return;
} //end of if
} //end of if
} //end of if
 
//draw image
photo.paintIcon(page, davinci, location.getX(), location.getY());
 
} //end of draw
 
public void die() {
//kills rabbit, erases image, and removes from total number of rabbits alive
 
//subtracts one from the number of rabbits alive
--totalPop;
++rabbitsDead;
 
//sets refrence to null

} //end of die
 
public void die(ArrayList<Rabbit> Rabbits) { //overloaded method for arraylists
//same as above but removes from ArrayList

++rabbitsDead;
totalPop = totalPop - 1;
Rabbits.remove(this);
} //end method
 
public Rabbit() { //constructer for rabbit class
//makes a rabbit
 
//sets the image to what it should be
photo = new ShapeIcon(Rabbit.class.getResource("/image/rabbit.gif"));
 
//adds one to total rabbits
++totalPop;

} //end of constructer rabbit
 
public void reproduce(ArrayList<Rabbit> rabbits) {
// a shortcut for doubling rabbit population with an arraylist
 
//add a new rabbit to an ArrayList
rabbits.add(new Rabbit());
 
//adds one to total amount of rabbits alive
++totalPop;
 
} //end of reproduce

public static void reset() {
//sets variables to zero

//set static variables to zero
rabbitsDead = 0;
 
} //end of reset

//////////////////////////////////////////below is encapulation code////////////////////////
 
public Point getPoint() {
return location;
}

} //end of class Rabbit

and here is the error messages

[ March 30, 2008: Message edited by: colton peterson ]

Ref: JLS - 7 Packages...

A package consists of a number of compilation units (�7.3). A compilation unit automatically has access to all types declared in its package and also automatically imports all of the public types declared in the predefined package java.lang.

Originally posted by colton peterson:
... I have checked the classpath...

What is your classpath set to? Which directory are you compiling from?

ShapeIcon and SyncPoint are both declared to be in the package com.googlepages.kpcode.LynxVsRabbit, right?
[ March 30, 2008: Message edited by: marc weber ]

actually I explicitly set it when I compiled I think I still have it somewhere in my command prompt . . .

thanks. I got some more errors but they are different than before. Back to debugging!

In Java, classes are identified by their qualified names. Because ShapeIcon is in the package com.googlepages.kpcode.LynxVsRabbit, its qualified name is com.googlepages.kpcode.LynxVsRabbit.ShapeIcon, and this is found in the directory C:\Documents and Settings\Kolten\Desktop\lynx vs rabbits\class. Use that as your classpath, and it should work.