Protected Class-Level Variable

Hi Ajay,


The protected keyword is a member access modifier. It can only be used in a declaring a function or method not in the class ie. a class can't be declared as protected class.

A protected member is accessible from within the class in which it is declared, and from within any class derived from the class that declare this member. In other words access is limited to within the class definition and any class that inherits from the class

A protected member of a base class is accessible in a derived class only if the access takes place through the derived class type.


Please refer the below link


http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bcd5672a(VS.71).aspx

Thanks

Protected variables, methods and properties could be accessed by sub classes which are inherited from main class.

For example

class main {
        protected int a = 0;

        public void SomeMethod()
        {
                // you can access all public, protected and private members.
        }
}

class subclass : main
{
        public void SomeOtherMethod()
        {
                a = 1; // it's legal because it's defined as protected in main class.
                         // in here you cann't access the private members of the main class.
        }
}

I hope this is enough for you.

Dear Ajay

Protected Class-level varialbe Means,
Access is limited to the containing class or types derived from it