What is the purpose of packages in Java?

In Java, packages serve the following functions:

1. Organizing code: Packages can group together related classes, interfaces, and other resources, providing better code management and organizational structure.
2. Namespace: Packages can provide unique namespaces for classes and other resources, preventing naming conflicts.
3. Access control: Classes and other resources can control access permissions through access modifiers (such as public, protected, private), achieving information hiding and encapsulation.
4. Modular development: Packages can be used for modular development, dividing code into different packages based on functionality or modules, facilitating teamwork and code reuse.
5. Importing and exporting: Packages can be imported from other packages using the import statement, or exported for use by other packages using the export statement.

Overall, in Java, a package serves multiple purposes including organizing code, managing namespaces, controlling access, developing modules, and importing/exporting, which enhances the maintainability, readability, and scalability of code.