Importing external classes

Question

How do I import a downloaded .class file to be used in my project? It shows up in the Explorer [filesystems] view but I still get an error.
BCrowe

Answer 1

>>
uh - don't believe so. You don't need an importwhen
the class is part of the default name space.
That's not what I've experienced, could you show an
example of how that's done?
Show an example of how what is done?
If the class is in the default name space it has no package.
So there is no import statement. So I guess an example would be a blank line?
Amazingly enough I remembered the reason for this.
The import statement allows the compiler to fully resolve the name, so a developer can use a short hand abbreviation.
If I want to use 'java.util.Date' then the compiler will need to know the fully qualified name, which is 'java.util.Date'. I can use the full name or I can import it using either 'java.util.*' or 'java.util.Date'.
And then in my code I can just use 'Date.
And the compiler will always resolve it to 'java.util.Date'.
But what happens if I create a 'Date' in the default name space?
The fully resolved name is 'Date'. There is nothing for the compiler to resolve. There is no shorthand that the developer can use.
Even if 'import Date' was allowed it doesn't tell the compiler anything that it doesn't already know.
Further the compiler must look in the default name space anyways. Whether an import statement is there or not.