Introduction

This article will explain one of the OOP concepts, Access Modifiers in Java, along with some basic examples, to get a clear understanding of the concept.

Access Modifiers

Access modifiers are keywords that specify the access allowed to the classes, methods, constructor, data members and so on. In other words, a class can control what information or data can be accessible, by other classes.
In Java, there is the provision of numerous access modifiers for setting the levels you want from classes, as well as the fields, methods, and constructors in your classes. A member has the package or default accessibility when no access modifier is specified. You should possibly minimize access levels, whenever dealing with encapsulation, in Java.
Basically, there are two types of modifiers, in Java:
modifiers in Java

Non-access modifiers

These are synchronized, native, static, abstract, volatile, transient, and so on. But, here we will only discuss access modifiers.
The following are the four access modifier levels:
The following are the four types of access modifiers:
access modifiers

Default access modifiers

In Java, when no access modifier is used, then it is called a default specifier. Any class, field, method, or constructor that has not declared an access modifier is accessible, only by classes in the same package. The default modifier is not used for fields and methods, within an interface.
In other words, if you don't use any modifier, it is treated as default by default. The default modifier is accessible only within the package.
Example
Here we are making two different packages. One is an article and the other is a default package. In each package, we have made one class, Main.java and Greet.java. When trying to access the Greet class, from outside its package, (and since the Greet class is not public), it cannot be accessed from outside its package.

Greet.java

  1. package article;
  2. public class Greet {
  3. void msg() {
  4. System.out.println("Hello..!! How are you..??");
  5. }
  6. }

Main.java

  1. package defaultpackage;
  2. import article.*;
  3. public class Main {
  4. public static void main(String[] args) {
  5. Main m = new Main();
  6. m.msg();
  7. }
  8. }
In the preceding example, the scope of the class Greet and method msg() is default, so it cannot be accessed from outside the package.
The preceding example can provide the output properly if both of the classes are located in the same package.

Private access modifiers

The fields or methods that are declared as private are the most restrictive cannot be used for classes and Interfaces. Fields, methods, or constructors declared as private are strictly controlled, which means they cannot be accessed by anywhere outside the enclosing class. A standard design strategy is to make all fields private and provide public getter methods for them.
In other words, if a method or variable is marked as private, then only code inside the same class can access the variable, or call the method. Code inside subclasses, cannot access the variable or method, nor can code from any external class.
If a class is marked as private then no external class can access the class. This doesn't really make much sense for classes though. Therefore, the private access modifier is mostly used for fields, constructors, and methods.

Example

In this example, we have created two classes, House and Details. Class House contains a private method and private data members. When we try to access these private members and methods, from outside the class that cannot be accessed, we get a compile-time error.
  1. class House {
  2. private int HNo = 211;
  3. private String Town = "Nagra";
  4. private String city = "Jhansi";
  5. private void show() {
  6. System.out.println("Welcome to my house");
  7. }
  8. }
  9. public class Details {
  10. public static void main(String args[]) {
  11. House h = new House();
  12. System.out.println(h.HNo);
  13. System.out.println(h.Town);
  14. System.out.println(h.city);
  15. h.show();
  16. }
  17. }
If you make any class constructor private, then you cannot create an instance of that class, from outside the class.
A class cannot be private or protected,, except a nested class.

Public access modifiers

The Public keyword is also the easiest of the Java access modifiers, because of its nature. A variable or method that is declared as public means that any class can access it. This is useful for those variables that should be accessible by your entire application. Usually, common routines and variables, that need to be shared everywhere, are declared public.
In other words, fields, methods, and constructors declared public, which is least restrictive within a public class, are visible to any class in the Java program. Regardless, whether these classes are in the same package, or in another package.
A class, method, constructor, interface, and so on declared as public can be accessed from any other class. Therefore, fields, methods, and blocks declared inside a public class, can be accessed from any class belonging to the Java Universe.
However, if the public class we are trying to access is in a different package, then the public class must be imported.
Because of class inheritance, all public methods and variables of a class, are inherited by its subclasses.
The public access modifier is accessible everywhere. It has the widest scope among all other modifiers.
Example

House.java

  1. package Newpack;
  2. public class House {
  3. public int HNo = 211;
  4. public String Town = "Nagra";
  5. public String city = "Jhansi";
  6. public void show() {
  7. System.out.println("Welcome to my house");
  8. }
  9. public void print() {
  10. System.out.println("You need coffee..??");
  11. }
  12. }

Details.java

  1. package Public;
  2. import Newpack.*;
  3. class Details {
  4. public static void main(String args[]) {
  5. House h = new House();
  6. System.out.println(h.HNo);
  7. System.out.println(h.Town);
  8. System.out.println(h.city);
  9. h.show();
  10. h.print();
  11. }
  12. }

Output

Output

Protected access modifiers

The Protected keyword is one of the most typical Java access modifiers. It is not difficult to understand yet because Protected variables and methods, allow the class itself to access them. Classes inside the same package are allowed to access them and also subclasses, of that class, are allowed to access them.
Those variables, methods and constructors that are declared protected in a superclass can be accessed only by the subclasses in other packages or any class within the package of the protected member's class.
The protected access modifier cannot be applied to class and interfaces. Methods, fields can be declared protected. However, methods and fields, in an interface, cannot be declared protected. The protected access modifier can be applied to the data member, method, and constructor. It cannot be applied to the class.
The protected access modifier is accessible within a package and outside of the package, but through inheritance only.
Example
In this example, we have created two packages, public and new pack. Class House of new pack is public so it can be accessed from outside the package. But, the show() and print() methods are declared as protected, hence it can be accessed from outside the class, only through inheritance.

House.java

  1. package Newpack;
  2. public class House {
  3. public int HNo = 211;
  4. public String Town = "Nagra";
  5. public String city = "Jhansi";
  6. protected void show() {
  7. System.out.println("Welcome to my house");
  8. }
  9. protected void print() {
  10. System.out.println("You need water..??");
  11. }
  12. protected void display() {
  13. System.out.println("Have some rest.");
  14. }
  15. }

Details.java

  1. package Public;
  2. import Newpack.*;
  3. class Details extends House {
  4. public static void main(String args[]) {
  5. Details d = new Details();
  6. System.out.println(d.HNo);
  7. System.out.println(d.Town);
  8. System.out.println(d.city);
  9. d.show();
  10. d.print();
  11. d.display();
  12. }
  13. }

Output

Details