Java Modules are a feature introduced in Java 9 to improve code organization, maintainability, and security. 1. They allow developers to group related packages into modules with explicit dependencies and exports. 2. Each module includes a module-info.java file that declares its name, required modules, and exported packages. 3. Modules address issues like JAR hell by making dependencies explicit and restricting access to internal APIs. 4. They enable better encapsulation and reduce application size by including only necessary modules. 5. Compilation and execution use --module-path instead of the classpath. 6. Common uses include splitting large apps, creating custom runtime images, and avoiding reliance on internal JDK APIs.
Java Modules, introduced in Java 9 as part of the Java Platform Module System (JPMS), are a way to organize and manage large codebases more effectively. The main idea is to group related packages and resources into modules, which can explicitly declare their dependencies and what they expose to other modules.

This helps improve maintainability, security, and performance by making dependencies clearer and restricting access at the module level.

What Exactly Is a Java Module?
A Java module is a collection of packages and resources that are grouped together with a special descriptor file called module-info.java
. This file defines:
- The module’s name
- Which packages it exports (makes available to others)
- Which other modules it requires
For example, if you have a module named com.example.myapp
, its module-info.java
might look like this:

module com.example.myapp { requires java.base; exports com.example.myapp.core; }
Here, it says: "I need the java.base
module" and "I make the com.example.myapp.core
package available to others."
Why Were Modules Introduced?
Before JPMS, Java used the classpath to locate classes and libraries. But this led to problems like JAR hell, where conflicting versions of the same library could break things silently or at runtime.
Modules solve this by:
- Making dependencies explicit — you have to declare what your code needs
- Preventing accidental use of internal APIs (like sun.misc.Unsafe)
- Allowing better encapsulation — not everything in a JAR has to be visible
They also help reduce the size of Java applications by letting developers include only the modules they need, which is especially useful for embedded systems or microservices.
How Do Modules Work in Practice?
When compiling or running a modular Java application, you use the --module-path
instead of the traditional classpath. Here's how you compile and run a simple modular app:
Create a directory structure matching your module name:
src/ └── com.example.myapp/ ├── module-info.java └── com/example/myapp/core/MyApp.java
Compile with:
javac --module-path mods -d out src/com.example.myapp/module-info.java ...
Run with:
java --module-path out -m com.example.myapp/com.example.myapp.core.MyApp
If a module tries to access something it doesn’t require or isn't exported, the JVM will throw an error — helping catch issues early.
Common Use Cases and Examples
Some common scenarios where Java modules are especially helpful:
- Splitting large apps into smaller, manageable parts – Each team can own a module with clear boundaries.
-
Creating custom runtime images – Using
jlink
, you can build a minimal Java runtime that includes only the modules your app needs. - Restricting usage of internal JDK APIs – Modules enforce rules so you don’t accidentally rely on unstable or unsupported classes.
Also, many standard Java libraries now publish modular versions, so you can take advantage of stronger dependency management without extra work.
That's the core idea behind Java Modules — basically a more structured and safer way to build and manage Java applications. It takes a little getting used to, especially if you're used to classpaths and flat JARs, but once you start organizing your code this way, it becomes easier to scale and maintain.
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