Why public?

[Shravan Durvasula]

Hello all:
This is one of my interfaces:

 
package temp;
interface InterfaceB
{
void printB();
} // END: InterfaceB 

This is a class that implements the interface:

package temp;
class MainClass implements InterfaceB
{
MainClass()
{
} // END: MainClass
void printB()
{
System.out.println("This method from InterfaceB");
}

public static void main(String args[])
{
new MainClass();
} // END: main
} // END: MainClass

The compiler is asking me to make the implemented method (methodB in MainClass) public.
But in the original interface (InterfaceA) the scope of methodA is package. Then why do i need to make it public in the implemented class?
Thanks and Regards,
-skd

[Corey McGlone]

From the JLS, §9.4 Abstract Method Declarations:

Every method declaration in the body of an interface is implicitly public.

Corey

[Shravan Durvasula]

Thanks Corey.
"How can i have an interface whose methods can be implemented only within the package?"
Does the above question make sense because now i understand that everything in an interface is public?
Thanks,
-skd

[Corey McGlone]

Originally posted by Shravan Durvasula:
"How can i have an interface whose methods can be implemented only within the package?"

You can't. All methods defined within an interface are implicitly public. It is a compiler error to override a method with a more restrictive access modifier.
If you want that sort of functionality, you'll have to extend a class that has methods assigned the "default" access modifier.
Corey