Java error: Only a type can be imported. XYZ resolves to a package.

Question

I get the error: "Only a type can be imported. XYZ resolves to a package."

Someone has explained the cause here but I am not sure what I supposed to do to fix this. FYI: I am using Eclipse. I have added the code that does the importing below. The java.util.* import works fine.

 <%@ page import="java.util.*"%>
 <%@ page import="org.ivec.eresearch.knowledgeportal.model.Category"%>
 <%@ page import="org.ivec.eresearch.knowledgeportal.dao.CategoryDao"%>

 <% 
  CategoryDao catDao = new CategoryDao();
  ArrayList<Category> catList = catDao.selectCategory();

 //
 %>

Edit: the actual error is below:

 org.apache.jasper.JasperException: Unable to compile class for JSP: 

 An error occurred at line: 7 in the generated java file
 Only a type can be imported. org.ivec.eresearch.knowledgeportal.model.Category resolves to a package

Answer 1

You have to import something FROM the package, like a class, enum, or interfacee, like this:

import some.package.SomeClass;

or, import everything from the package (not recommended)

import some.package.*;

edit: maybe I didn't read close enough. Where is the package you're trying to import from located on the filesystem? Is it under WEB-INF/lib?

Answer 2

Are there more details? (Is this in a JSP as in the linked webpage?)

If so, you can always just use the fully qualified class name.
rather than:

import foo.bar.*;
Baz myBaz;

you can use

foo.bar.Baz myBaz;

Answer 3

Without further details, it sounds like an error in the import declaration of a class. Check, if all import declarations either import all classes from a package or a single class:

import all.classes.from.package.*;
import only.one.type.named.MyClass;

Edit

OK, after the edit, looks like it's a jsp problem.

Edit 2

Here is another forum entry, the problem seems to have similarities and the victim solved it by reinstalling eclipse. I'd try that one first - installing a second instance of eclipse with only the most necessary plugins, a new workspace, the project imported into that clean workspace, and hope for the best...

Answer 4

Well, you are not really providing enough details on your webapp but my guess is that you have a JSP with something like that:

<%@ page import="java.util.*,x.y.Z"%>

And x.y.Z can't be found on the classpath (i.e. is not present under WEB-INF/classes nor in a JAR of WEB-INF/lib).

Double check that the WAR you deploy on Tomcat has the following structure:

my-webapp
|-- META-INF
|   `-- MANIFEST.MF
|-- WEB-INF
|   |-- classes
|   |   |-- x
|   |   |   `-- y
|   |   |       `-- Z.class
|   |   `-- another
|   |       `-- packagename
|   |           `-- AnotherClass.class
|   |-- lib
|   |   |-- ajar.jar
|   |   |-- bjar.jar
|   |   `-- zjar.jar
|   `-- web.xml
|-- a.jsp
|-- b.jsp
`-- index.jsp

Or that the JAR that bundles x.y.Z.class is present under WEB-INF/lib.

Answer 5

Take a look at this link here. They seem to have similar problem in Eclipse. Not sure if you will find the solution there but the last message has some suggestions that you can try out.

Answer 6

OK I just solved it. In the last import I added a ";" by copying other code examples. I guess it's the standard line ending that is required.

So

<%@ page import="java.util.*" %>
<%@ page import="org.ivec.eresearch.knowledgeportal.dao.CategoryDao" %>
<%@ page import="org.ivec.eresearch.knowledgeportal.model.Category" %>

became

 <%@ page import="java.util.*" %>
 <%@ page import="org.ivec.eresearch.knowledgeportal.dao.CategoryDao" %>
 <%@ page import="org.ivec.eresearch.knowledgeportal.model.Category;" %>