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ACCESS MODIFIERS IN JAVA
Introduction The access modifiers in java specifies accessibility (scope) of a data member, method, constructor or class.
There are 4 types of java access modifiers:
private default protected public Private Access Modifier The private access modifier is accessible only within class. Example: class A { private int data=40; private void msg(){System.out.println("Hello java");} } public class B { public static void main(String args[]) { A obj=new A(); System.out.println(obj.data); //Compile Time Error obj.msg(); //Compile Time Error } } Private Constructor If you make any class constructor private, you cannot create the instance of that class from outside the class. Example: class A { private A(){} //private constructor void msg(){System.out.println("Hello java");} } public class B { public static void main(String args[]) { A obj=new A(); //Compile Time Error } } Note: A class cannot be private or protected except nested class. Default Access Modifier If you don't use any modifier, it is treated as default bydefault. The default modifier is accessible only within package. //save by A.java package pack; class A { void msg(){System.out.println("Hello");} } //save by B.java package mypack; import pack.*; class B { public static void main(String args[]){ A obj = new A();//Compile Time Error obj.msg();//Compile Time Error } } The scope of class A and its method msg() is default so it cannot be accessed from outside the package. Protected Access Modifier The protected access modifier is accessible within package and outside the package but through inheritance only.
The protected access modifier can be applied on
the data member, method and constructor.
It can't be applied on the class.
//save by A.java package pack; public class A { protected void msg() {System.out.println("Hello");} } //save by B.java package mypack; import pack.*; class B extends A { public static void main(String args[]) { B obj = new B(); obj.msg(); } } Output:Hello Public Access Modifier The public access modifier is accessible everywhere. It has the widest scope among all other modifiers. Example of public access modifier //save by A.java package pack; public class A { public void msg(){System.out.println("Hello");} } //save by B.java package mypack; import pack.*; class B { public static void main(String args[]) { A obj = new A(); obj.msg(); } } Output:Hello All Java Access Modifiers Access Modifiers with Method Overriding If you are overriding any method, overridden method (i.e. declared in subclass) must not be more restrictive. Example: class A { protected void msg(){System.out.println("Hello java");} } public class B extends A { void msg(){System.out.println("Hello java");}//C.T.Error public static void main(String args[]) { B obj=new B(); obj.msg(); } } The default modifier is more restrictive than protected. That is why there is compile time error.