CODEWITHSUNDEEP
java
hemanth
hemanth

Reputation: 109

private method can be accessed outside class in java

i have tried the following code in net beans i am expecting error but i didn't get any error

class B {

    private void method() {
    }

    public static void main() {
        B b = new B();
        B c = new C();
        b.method();
        c.method();
    }
}

class C extends B {
}

When c.method() tries to access the method it should show error but in NetBeans it is not showing. Please tell me what is the fault.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 2095

Answers (3)

Buhake Sindi
Buhake Sindi

Reputation: 89169

That's because the main method is declared inside class B and has visibility to all B private methods.

When doing c.method(), the IDE knows that C extends B and it knows that main is inside B so it can see the private method (with referring to B).

That's the "register" you'll find on the compiled B class (from Eclipse).

public static void main(java.lang.String[] args);
    new com.example.B [1]
    dup
    invokespecial com.neurologic.example.B() [17]
    astore_1 [b]
    invokespecial com.example.C() [20]
    astore_2 [c]
    aload_1 [b]
    invokespecial com.example.B.method() : void [21]
    aload_2 [c]
    invokespecial com.example.B.method() : void [21]
    return

Upvotes: 2

Armen Tsirunyan
Armen Tsirunyan

Reputation: 132974

The access checking is not done at object/class level, but rather at scope level. You call the method in B's scope where it is accessible. It doesn't matter whether you call it on a C object or a B object.

Upvotes: 3

Justin Niessner
Justin Niessner

Reputation: 245389

The way you have your method defined, you are calling C.method() from inside B.main(). Since method is private to B, the method is visible inside of B.main() even though the object is of type C which inherits from B.

Upvotes: 6

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