Java API User's Guide

How to Locate API

To Locate a Package:
Go to the Package Index

To Locate a Class or Interface:

Go to the Class Hierarchy and then use "Find" in your browser.
Once you're at a class page, use the Next/Previous links to browse through classes in that package alphabetically. The link called "This Package" in the navigation bar takes you to the list of classes in that package.

To Locate a Method, Field or Constructor:
Use the Index of Fields and Methods

How This Document Is Organized

This document has three types of pages, corresponding to three different levels of API, plus a class hierarchy and an index of fields and methods.

Level 1 - All Packages

Example: Java Platform Core API

This page provides a list of all packages and is the front page of this document.

Level 2 - All Classes and Interfaces within a Package

Example: Package java.awt

This type of page provides links to the public classes and interfaces in a given package. It can contain four categories:

Interfaces
Classes
Exceptions
Errors

Level 3 - A Single Class or Interface

Example: Class Label

Near the top of the page is a class inheritance diagram, starting with java.lang.Object and ending with the class or interface. This is followed by the class declaration and a general class description.

Following this are two sections: the indexes for this page, followed by detailed descriptions. (Each index entry contains the first sentence from the detailed description for that item.) The index entries are alphabetical, while the detailed descriptions are in the order they appear in the source code. This is done to preserve the logical groupings established by the programmer. These are the categories, in order (where a category is omitted when it has no entries):

Field Index
Constructor Index
Method Index

Fields
Constructors
Methods

The fields, constructors and methods have additional color coding as follows:

Instance Variable (Non-Static Field)

Static Field (Class Variable)

Constructor

Instance Method (Non-Static Method)

Class Method (Static Method)

Class Hierarchy

The Class Hierarchy contains a list of all the classes and interfaces starting with java.lang.Object, organized first by their inheritance structure, and within that structure sorted alphabetically by class or interface. Most every page has a "Class Hierarchy" link in the navigation bar to get to this page.

Index of Fields and Methods

The Index of Fields and Methods contains a list of all fields, methods and constructors, sorted alphabetically. Most every page has an "Index" link in the navigation bar to get to this page.