Message “package … does not exist” despite of a corresponding Java source file

[Markus-Elfring]

Apache NetBeans version

Apache NetBeans 14

What happened

The script “Apache-NetBeans-14-bin-linux-x64.sh” was successfully executed also on my development system.
I opened a test project a moment later.

I wondered then about the error message “package … does not exist”.

How to reproduce

Please take another look at import specifications (also in known Java example source files).

Did this work correctly in an earlier version?

No / Don't know

Operating System

Linux 5.19.2-1.2 x86_64 - openSUSE Tumbleweed

JDK

OpenJDK 18.0.2.0 x86_64 - openSUSE Tumbleweed

Apache NetBeans packaging

Apache NetBeans provided installer

Anything else

The software “Eclipse IDE for Java Developers 2022-06 (4.24.0)” found the mentioned import statement usable.

---

Another example for a previous clarification attempt:
2016-08-11: "Package does not exist" but it does

Are you willing to submit a pull request?

No

Code of Conduct

Yes

[neilcsmith-net]

That's not a valid project. The packages should be under src/main/java.

[Chris2011]

That's not a valid project. The packages should be under src/main/java.

Does this really matters and does this really make a difference?

[Markus-Elfring]

The packages should be under src/main/java.

💭 I suggest to reconsider such information a bit more also according to a required statement like “package picocli;” (for my test example).
Do development environments present differences in the desired storage locations?

[neilcsmith-net]

Does this really matters and does this really make a difference?

Yes. @Chris2011 if it's not a valid project how do you expect NetBeans to work out where the root of Java packages is?

Do development environments present differences in the desired storage locations?

Well, build systems do, and unless the build system (eg. Maven) is configured correctly, then it's neither going to build or allow NetBeans to find the required information. I hadn't noticed initially, but it looks like the pom.xml file is incorrectly under src too. This might accidentally work in Eclipse because of the .classpath file, but it's not going to work elsewhere.

For help with Maven inside (or outside) NetBeans, I suggest you ask on the users@ mailing list or in the GitHub discussions.

[Markus-Elfring]

I hadn't noticed initially, but it looks like the pom.xml file is incorrectly under src too.

The file “pom.xml” is stored in the root directory for my test project example.
💭 Do you expect a clearer graphical representation by the NetBeans IDE accordingly?

[Markus-Elfring]

… where the root of Java packages is?

Does the shown screenshot excerpt indicate relevant information? 🤔

[Markus-Elfring]

💭 Would you like to reconsider software development consequences also according to information like the following?

The Java® Language Specification
Java SE 18 Edition
Section “Fully Qualified Names and Canonical Names”:
“…
The fully qualified name of a named package that is not a subpackage of a named package is its simple name.
…
The fully qualified name of a top level class or top level interface that is declared in a named package consists of the fully qualified name of the package, followed by ".", followed by the simple name of the class or interface.
…”

Is it supported then (by available development tools) to store a package with a “simple name” in the directory “<project_root>/src” directly besides the known subdirectory “main”? 🤔

[sdedic]

… where the root of Java packages is?

Does the shown screenshot excerpt indicate relevant information? thinking

No it does not. And if you worked with the "Project" tab, you would clearly see where the package root is, and that your CommandLine.java file is outside of that root - and therefore won't be considered by the compiler or parser for resolution.

What's interesting is the very existence of picocli/CommandLine.java in your project's source tree: picocli.CommandLine is a class from picocli library, and as such should be included in compiled form in a library listed in the project's POM. Are you sure your project is set up correctly ?

[Markus-Elfring]

What's interesting is the very existence of picocli/CommandLine.java in your project's source tree: picocli.CommandLine is a class from picocli library,

I copied this source file from the published archive “picocli-4.6.3.tar.gz”.

and as such should be included in compiled form in a library listed in the project's POM.

I came along other software build expectations for this component.
💭 I would eventually like to bundle two source files for my test project example because of special circumstances.

Are you sure your project is set up correctly ?

I got the impression that the corresponding answer depends on the selected development tool versions. 🤔

[neilcsmith-net]

Moving this into discussions as suggested.