Protected methods

[Katrin Perry]

Hi,

This is a question form a Mock exam:

True or False: If class Y extends class X, the 2 classes are in different packages; and class X has a protected method called abby() then any instance of Y may call the abby() method on any instance of Y?

I think the answer is True, but according to the test simulator it is False.

What do you think?

Thanks
Katrin

[Srinivasan thoyyeti]

Outside a package if you want to access protected method of a public class, then it can only be done through inheritance.

you can't access protected method of public class through instance out side its package.

[Chris Stann]

Here's what the book says "A default member may be accessed only if the class accessing the member belongs to the same package, whereas a protected member can be accessed (through inheritance) by a subclass even if the subclass is in a different package"

Classes A and B are in different packages, aPackage and bPackage, respectively. Class B imports Class A. If class B extends class A, and class A has a private method x, you can access that method x only through an instance of class B, not Class A.

B b = new B();
b.x(); //yes, this will compile and run
A a = new A();
a.x(); //no this will not compile with an error message "x() has protected access in aPackage.A"


I thought otherwise until I tried it.