What is the Difference Between Package and Interface in Java?

🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚

In Java, packages and interfaces serve different purposes and are used in distinct contexts. Here are the key differences between them:

  1. Purpose: Packages are used to organize related classes and interfaces into a single unit, while interfaces define a contract for classes to implement.
  2. Syntax: Packages are declared using the package keyword, while interfaces are declared using the interface keyword.
  3. Usage: Packages group classes and interfaces based on functionality, whereas interfaces define method signatures that classes implementing the interface must provide implementations.
  4. Accessibility: Packages can have access modifiers to control visibility, while interface methods are implicitly public and abstract.
  5. Inheritance: Packages do not support multiple inheritance, but interfaces do, as a class can implement multiple interfaces.

To summarize, packages are used to organize and structure code, while interfaces provide a way to achieve abstraction and support multiple inheritances in Java.

Comparative Table: Package vs Interface in Java

Here is a table highlighting the key differences between packages and interfaces in Java:

Characteristics Package Interface
Purpose Organize related classes and interfaces into a single unit Define a contract for classes to implement
Syntax Declared using package keyword Declared using interface keyword
Usage Group classes and interfaces based on functionality Define method signatures that classes implementing the interface must provide implementations
Accessibility Packages can have access modifiers to control visibility Interface methods are implicitly public and abstract

Packages are a mechanism for organizing related classes and interfaces into a single unit, making it easier to group classes and interfaces based on functionality and manage the codebase. On the other hand, interfaces are used to define a contract for classes to implement, specifying method signatures that must be provided by the classes implementing the interface.