a question on private instance variable

[sura watthana]

hi,

looking at the class below

  
public class Person {
    private String name;

    public boolean equals(Person p) {
        return p.name.equals(this.name);
    }
}

I don't understand how it is possible that p.name can be directly access even though name is a private instance variable.
anyone knows an explanation to this?

thanks

sura

[Rob Spoor]

Private means private to the class, not to the instance. That means that all code inside the same class (including any enclosing classes if it is an inner class or static nested class) have access to the field.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Rob is right, but I would recommend you look for articles about the equals method, because you are not overriding it as you ought to (see Object#equals(java.lang.Object)) but overloading it.

Look for Joshua Bloch's book, or Angelkia Langer's website, or the article W Joe Smith refers to in this thread.