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If a developer uses an identifier that has the same name as a public class, such as {{Vector}}, a subsequent maintainer might not be aware that this identifier does not actually refer to {{java.util.Vector}}, and might unintentionally use the custom {{Vector}} instead of the original {{java.util.Vector}} class. The custom type {{Vector}} can [shadow|BB. Definitions#shadow] a class name from {{java.util.Vector}}), as specified by [§66.3.2|http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/names.html#6.3.2] of the _Java Language Specification_ \[[JLS 2005|AA. Bibliography#JLS 05]\]. This can result in unexpected program behavior.

Well-defined import statements can resolve these issues. However, when reused name definitions are imported from other packages, use of the _type-import-on-demand declaration_ (see [§77.5.2|http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/packages.html#7.5.2], "Type-Import-on-Demand Declaration" of the _Java Language Specification_ \[[JLS 2005|AA. Bibliography#JLS 05]\]). Additionally, a common, and potentially misleading, tendency is to produce the import statements _after_ writing the code, often via automatic inclusion of import statements by an IDE. This creates further ambiguity with respect to the names; when a custom type is found earlier in the Java include path than the intended type, no further searches are conducted. 

\[[JLS 2005|AA. Bibliography#JLS 05]\] 
[§ 6.3.2|http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/names.html#6.3.2] "Obscured Declarations" 
[§66.3.1|http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/names.html#6.3.1] "Shadowing Declarations"
[§77.5.2|http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/packages.html#7.5.2] "Type-Import-On_Demand Declaration" 
[§1414.4.3|http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/statements.html#14.4.3] "Shadowing of Names by Local Variables"
\[[FindBugs 2008|AA. Bibliography#FindBugs 08]\]
\[[Bloch 2005|AA. Bibliography#Bloch 05]\] Puzzle 67: All Strung Out
\[[Bloch 2008|AA. Bibliography#Bloch 08]\] Item 16: Prefer interfaces to abstract classes