This table (matrix) shows the accessible from each class elements.
See a matrix of all modifiers in Java and the elements to which they can be applied.
class \ have access to | private elements | default elements (no modifier) | protected elements | public elements |
---|---|---|---|---|
own class (Base ) | yes | yes | yes | yes |
subclass - same package (SubA ) | no | yes | yes | yes |
class - same package (AnotherA ) | no | yes | yes | yes |
subclass - another package (SubB ) | no | no | yes/no * | yes |
class - another package (AnotherB ) | no | no | no | yes |
* Class SubB
has access only to the inherited from Base
protected elements, i.e. its own elements, but the protected data of other Base
instances is not accessible from SubB
.
Code Example
All lines with not accessible fields are commented.
package packageA; public class Base { public String publicStr = "publicString"; protected String protectedStr = "protectedString"; String defaultStr = "defaultString"; private String privateStr = "privateString"; public void print() { System.out.println("packageA.Base has access to"); System.out.println(" " + publicStr); System.out.println(" " + protectedStr); System.out.println(" " + defaultStr); System.out.println(" " + privateStr); Base b = new Base(); // -- other Base instance System.out.println(" b." + b.publicStr); System.out.println(" b." + b.protectedStr); System.out.println(" b." + b.defaultStr); System.out.println(" b." + b.privateStr); } } -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- package packageA; public class SubA extends Base { public void print() { System.out.println("packageA.SubA has access to"); System.out.println(" " + publicStr + " (inherited from Base)"); System.out.println(" " + protectedStr + " (inherited from Base)"); System.out.println(" " + defaultStr + " (inherited from Base)"); // -- not accessible - private elements are even not inherited // System.out.println(privateStr); Base b = new Base(); // -- other Base instance System.out.println(" b." + b.publicStr); System.out.println(" b." + b.protectedStr); System.out.println(" b." + b.defaultStr); // -- not accessible // System.out.println(b.privateStr); } } -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- package packageA; public class AnotherA { public void print() { System.out.println("packageA.AnotherA has access to"); Base b = new Base(); System.out.println(" b." + b.publicStr); System.out.println(" b." + b.protectedStr); System.out.println(" b." + b.defaultStr); // System.out.println(b.privateStr); } } -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- package packageB; import packageA.Base; public class SubB extends Base { public void print() { System.out.println("packageB.SubB has access to"); System.out.println(" " + publicStr + " (inherited from Base)"); // -- protectedStr is inherited element -> accessible System.out.println(" " + protectedStr + " (inherited from Base)"); // -- not accessible // System.out.println(defaultStr); // System.out.println(privateStr); Base b = new Base(); // -- other Base instance System.out.println(" b." + b.publicStr); // -- protected element, which belongs to other object -> not accessible // System.out.println(b.protectedStr); // -- not accessible // System.out.println(b.defaultStr); // System.out.println(b.privateStr); } } -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- package packageB; import packageA.Base; public class AnotherB { public void print() { System.out.println("packageB.AnotherB has access to"); Base b = new Base(); System.out.println(" b." + b.publicStr); // -- not accessible // System.out.println(b.protectedStr); // System.out.println(b.defaultStr); // System.out.println(b.privateStr); } } -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- import packageA.*; import packageB.*; // -- testing class public class TestProtection { public static void main(String[] args) { // -- all classes are public, so class TestProtection // -- has access to all of them new Base().print(); new SubA().print(); new AnotherA().print(); new SubB().print(); new AnotherB().print(); } }