ABAP Objects: Calling private Methods

Question

Hi,
i would choose an private Method of an global class (for example class: CL_GUI_ALV_GRID private Method: SEARCH_START) in a local class.
class lcl_test definition for testing.
  private section.
    methods test for testing.
  data ref_alv type ref to cl_gui_alv_grid.
endclass.
class lcl_test implementation.
  method for test.
    create object ref_alv ...
* How to call a private Method?
call method ref_alv->search_start( ). "not possible!   
  endmethod.
endclass.
Is this possible?
Regards,
Damir

Answer 1

Damir, of course you can call a private method of a class, if this class has made you a friend with the syntax element FRIENDS (available since Release 6.10). Here is a syntactically correct example, when my_method is a private class method:
REPORT test.
CLASS mytest DEFINITION FOR TESTING.
  PRIVATE SECTION.
    METHODS test FOR TESTING.
ENDCLASS.
CLASS myclass DEFINITION FRIENDS mytest.
  PUBLIC SECTION.
    CLASS-METHODS my_method.
ENDCLASS.
CLASS myclass IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD my_method.
  ENDMETHOD.
ENDCLASS.
CLASS mytest IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD test.  
    CALL METHOD myclass=>my_method.
  ENDMETHOD.
ENDCLASS.
If my_method is not a class method, then you need to create an object of the class first, whose methods you want to test.
Kind regards,
Michael Kraemer