Roundup #208

[Gil Salu]

could someone clearify #208?

[Cindy Glass]

You know, I didn't memorize that one.

[Paul Caudle]

I think perhaps this question might fit well in the Java Ranch forum or maybe we could just get one of the Sheriffs to clarify what #208 is...or we can run the game until we get it...that's what I think I'll do in the meantime.
Paul

[Paul Caudle]

Can one object access a private variable of another object of the same class?
<h6>it only took me about 2 minutes to find it...but I got a lot of the questions wrong in the meantime</h6>
The answer to this question is Yes, it can. I think the explanation of this answer in the round-up is that the access is granted to the class, not the object...
To explain that a little further, any object created from a specific class has access to the private variables of any other object created from that class.
Take a look:

public class Sharing{
  private String s1;
  public Sharing(String argS){
    super();
    s1 = argS;
  }
  public static void main(String[] args){
    //create 2 Sharing objects and pass them Strings to 
    //be assigned the their respective s1 variables
    Sharing x = new Sharing("X is reference");
    Sharing b = new Sharing("B is reference");
    //use one object (b) to access the other 
    //object's (x's) private variable and print it out
    System.out.println(b.getOtherString(x));
  }
  private String getOtherString(Sharing shar){
    //return private property s1 from whatever object 
    //was passed into the method
    return shar.s1;
  }

}

Even though there are 2 different objects here (referenced using x and b) b is still able to access the private variable of object x. Why? Because the objects referenced by x and b were both created from the same class (Sharing), and objects created from the same class have access to each other's privates ( get your mind out of the gutter, you know what I mean!).
I hope that helps...send me an e-mail if you want a little clarification and I'll post it up here.


[This message has been edited by Paul Caudle (edited November 13, 2000).]

[Gil Salu]

Thanks all...after I re-read the question I understood what it was talking about...