Are private members inherit or not??

Question

Hi, I read the Sun Java tutorial twice times in this year about this topic.
March 2006, it says:
"A subclass inherits all the members variables and methods from its superclass. However the
subclass might not have access to an inherited member variable or method. For example a
subclass cannot access a private member inherited from its superclass. One might think ,then ,
that the item was not inherited at all. But the item is inherited."
September 2006, it says:
"A subclass does not inherit the private members of its parent class. However, if the superclass
has public or protected methods for accessing its private fields, these can also be used by the subclass.
A nested class has access to all the private members of its enclosing class�both fields
and methods. Therefore, a public or protected nested class inherited by a subclass has indirect access
to all of the private members of the superclass".
Which is wrong? Are private members inherit or not??

Answer 1

I teach Java 101 now and then. When I describes classes, sub-classes and access modifyers I use this metaphor:
Look at a class as a cardboard box. On the left outside of the box, you can write the names of the methods and attributes that you want others to see. These are the ones marked with public.
On the bottom outside of the box, you write all the names of attributes and methods that can be seen by classes that extends your class, sub-classes. These are the ones marked with protected.
Somehow, you are able to read the text on the outside when standing inside the box... has something to do with the pen that you use... ;-)
On the inside of the box you can write whatever you want that you do not want anyone else to see. These are marked private.
When creating a sub-class the sub-class-boxes are designed in such a way that it has a glass shelf halfway up on the right wall where you place your super-class-cardboard-box and a small window that allows users on the outside to look at the left side of the super-class-box. That is the only difference between a sub-class and a super-class-box.
Standing outside of the sub-class-box, you can read the left side of the sub-box and the left side of super-box through the window.
Standing inside the box, you can also read the bottom of the super-box through the glass-shelf.