main()

[cybel sheriden]

can main() be private.k&b says tht for the exam assume main() is public.

[miguel lisboa]

try compiling this:

 public class A {
 
private static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("hmm?");
}
} 

[James Carman]

Actually, that will compile. Try running that!

[miguel lisboa]

oops
i meant that

[marc weber]

Prior to Java 1.4, main was not required to be public.

This was reported as a bug in 1.2.2, then closed with the curious determination, "will not be fixed."

Ref: http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=4252539

Fortunately, it was fixed, and main (as an entry point) is now required to be public.

[James Carman]

I don't know that it's really that big of a deal if it's private, do you? It seems obvious that it should be public, though.

[Surasak Leenapongpanit]

 
public class A {
  private static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("hmm?");
  }
}  

When I run this code on JVM1.4.2, it complains "Main method not public.".
[ March 11, 2005: Message edited by: Surasak Leenapongpanit ]

[James Carman]

Originally posted by Surasak Leenapongpanit:

 
public class A {
  private static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("hmm?");
  }
}  

When I run this code on JVM1.4.2, it complains "Main method not public.".

[ March 11, 2005: Message edited by: Surasak Leenapongpanit ]

That's the point!

[marc weber]

Originally posted by James Carman:
I don't know that it's really that big of a deal if it's private, do you? It seems obvious that it should be public, though.

Yes, it certainly makes sense that it's required to be public. But because it's an "entry method," it seems a bit on the fringe, so I don't know how big of a deal this might be.

In other words, the initial call to main is not coming from another object, or even a static method of another class. So in this special case, since we're telling to JVM to load the class and invoke main, might we even consider this a de facto call from within the same class?