Thread: Which is more efficient? "import java.package.subpackage" or "import java.package.*"

Which is more efficient in terms of Runtime?

Neither. Imports are used for compilation.

Does it make a significant difference at all?

When trying to read someone else's code, especially if it relies on 3rd party libraries, using the explicit syntax is more favorable in my opinion as it makes it easier to to track down API's. Another issue that can arise from the '*' syntax is class name conflicts, which can result in compile time errors. As an example, there is List in both the java.awt and in java.util packages:

import java.awt.*;
import java.util.*;
public class NameConflict{
    public void testConflict(){
        //error with JDK - compiler doesn't know which List to use
        List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
    }
}