Private Variables

[Amit Lonkar]

The following is the question on the www.javaranch.com/game.jsp. Please can some one tell me how this is possible.
Can one object access a private variable of another object of the same class??
Answer: Yes
Private means "private to the class" NOT "private to the object". So two objects of the same class could access each other's private data.
Thanks
Amit

[Rob Ross]

Here you go.

public class PrivateTest
{
    private int anInt = 12;
    public void printanInt(PrivateTest pt)
    {
          System.out.println("pt.anInt = "+pt.anInt);  //here we access the private member of a different object, but in the same class
    }
   public static void main(String[] args)
   {
       PrivateTest pt  = new PrivateTest();
       System.out.println(pt.anInt);
       PrivateTest pt2 = new PrivateTest();
       pt.printanInt(pt2);
   }
}

Main constructs a new PrivateTest, and is able to access a private member of that class. It also creates a second object of the same class, and passes this as an argument to a method in the first object. The printanInt() method is able to access the private member of another object, because both objects are of the same class.