Access Modifiers in Java

Java Access Specifiers (also known as Visibility Specifiers) regulate access to classes, fields and methods in Java. They can also be called Access Modifiers. They are usually keywords that determine the accessibility of class, fields and methods in a program. Here the class has control over what data or information is accessed by other classes.

These Specifiers determine whether a field or method in a class can be used or invoked by another method in another class or sub-class. Access Specifiers can also be used to restrict access. Access Specifiers are an integral part of object-oriented programming. In basic terms, they curb access.

There are four Access Specifiers in Java:

  • Public
  • Private
  • Default
  • Protected

  • It can be applied to constructor, global variables, static variables, methods, inner classes or outer classes
  • Public members are accessible everywhere, in same class, outside the class, or any package
  • Local variables cannot be public as they already have a scope within the method
  • A class cannot be private
  • Private access specifier can be applied to global variable, method, constructor and inner class only
  • Local variables cannot be private but global variables can be private
  • Private members can be accessed only within the enclosed brackets
    • The program below will give the error
    • Here, we see that the variable is private and not accessible in other classes


  • If we make constructor private, we cannot create an object of that class from other classes

  • Question that may be asked - How you will stop others from creating object of your class? The answer would be: By making constructor private.[this will be more clear in constructor chapter]

  • In the below given example we may have confusion that

  • Local variable is not equivalent to instance variable

  • Local variables cannot be static

    • private A a1=new A();
    • This statement means a1 address is not visible outside, hence, we are not able to access it from outside
    • Remember, there will be no impact to class A
    • We can't say that class A is private. By this line it's just a variable ‘a1’ is private

Example


Question: Why should you know private variable? Where have you used in your project?
Answer: :Let’s say we have the following requirement:In a college we want to insert student details and one student insertion means that is:

  • Qualification should be inserted
  • Personal details should be inserted
  • Skills should be inserted
  • Fee details should be inserted

Now we will start writing a simple class where the above specified requirements will be fulfilled

First approach:

This approach will not be accepted as all code written is at one place. If, in the future, we want to make fees optional, it won’t be possible and we will need to change whole code which increases unit testing. The above written code will work properly at the first instance, but if we think for the future, then it will be difficult to manage it.

So, we need to change this code as shown below again:

Second approach:

In this approach, we just tried to bring more readability and modularity in our code. That means we will have less maintenance. This is just code writing in a different way. It is just copy and pasting code at different places. Now, consider that after some years we want to remove skill insertion. We will then need to comment only one line.

public void insertStudent() {
insertQual();
insertPD();
// insertSkill();
insertFees();
}

Still, our code gets rejected as requirement is not completely fulfilled. HOW??

The client can call any methods directly from outside and can insert anything like fees, etc. But requirement says that all methods should get called so that student will get inserted with all details not just a single or partial detail.

Third approach:

This is the most correct approach as all other methods are private and only one method is public which can be accessed from outside.

So, nobody can call any method directly without going through insertStudent method. That's what the requirement says.

Here, it must be noticed how access specifiers play an important role.

If we use them properly, our code will be more managed in the long run.

  • When an access specifier is not specified to members of a class, then it is called default
  • Default members can be accessible only within same package or folder
  • Default can be applied to constructor, global variable, local variable, methods, inner classes, outer classes etc.
  • Default is a keyword in java. We may mistakenly think that it is an access specifier, but it actually is for a switch statement
  • It can be applied to constructor, global variable, methods
  • It cannot apply to outer classes, but can be applied to inner classes
  • It cannot apply to the local variable
  • Protected members are accessible within same package and another package of its subclass only. Inheritance must be there, the caller of protected members is the subclass of protected member’s class.

If any method is overridden from super class to sub class, then the access specifier of the overridden method must be protected or public.

To know this completely, we must know inheritance in detail,please go through inheritance chapter

Private No Modifier Protected Public
Same class Yes Yes Yes Yes
Same package sub-class No Yes Yes Yes
Same package non-subclass No Yes Yes Yes
Different package subclasses No No Yes Yes
Different package non-subclass No No No Yes