simple access modifier question....

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. - 20 Feb 2005 09:18 GMT

I have the following declarations in a class I have written:

public class SecretWord {
private String description;
private String secret;

//constructor
public SecretWord(String startDescription, String startSecret){
description = startDescription;
secret = startSecret;
}

In a different class I have:

public class SecretWordII extends SecretWord {

//constructor
public SecretWordII(String startDescription, String startSecret){
super(startDescription, startSecret);
}

and later on in SecretWordII I have:

out.println(description+":"+secret);

Whe I try to compile the class I get:

.\SecretWordII.java:24: description has private access in SecretWord
out.println(description+":"+secret);
^
.\SecretWordII.java:24: secret has private access in SecretWord
out.println(description+":"+secret);

WHY??
Can't I access private variables using super() ?

Thanks in advance

Michael

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Anthony Borla - 20 Feb 2005 09:36 GMT

> I have the following declarations in a class I have written:

<SNIP>

> .\SecretWordII.java:24: description has private access in
> SecretWord
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance

A 'private' member, be it attribute or method, is just that: 'private' to
the class. To allow others access to 'private' members you would provide
accessor methods.

Otherwise, you must alter the access modifier, changing it to package-level
or 'protected' access if you wish classes in the same package or subclasses
to be allowed access.

I hope this helps.

Anthony Borla

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Hal Rosser - 20 Feb 2005 21:25 GMT

when you tried to print the private variable directly, that was the problem.

in the class - you need "public access methods" to access the private
variables.

public String getDescription(){
return description;
}

Then - to use this method

out.println(getDescription() ); // since getDescription() returns a String -
you're ok

The constructor you created were used to "set" the private variables in your
class.

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Anzime - 20 Feb 2005 22:10 GMT

A subclass inherits public and protected members of its super class.