Question

In the below code the Consumer class can access the protected method of Parent class.How is it possible since there is no relation between Parent and Consumer class.Please explain

class Parent {
    public void method1(){
        System.out.println("PUBLIC METHOD");
    }
    private void method2(){
        System.out.println("PRIVATE METHOD");
    }
    protected void method3(){
        System.out.println("PROTECTED METHOD");
    }
}

public class Consumer {
    public static void main(String[] args){
        Parent parentObj = new Parent();
        parentObj.method1();
        //parentObj.method2();
        parentObj.method3();
    }
}

Thanks

Answer 1

protected means: same package or by inheritance. Since your classes are both in the default package (not recommended in real life), protected enables access. By the way: if you tried to test java access control, you forgot default access (default access = no modifier = package private).

private access on the other hand means: access from nowhere except this particular class (and non-static inner classes, which are still member of the host-class).