Extending class question

Question

public class Terrain
     // instance variables
     private int length, width;
      * Constructor for objects of class terrain
     public Terrain(int l, int w)
          // initialise instance variables
          length = l;
          width = w;
     public String terrainSize()
          return "Land has dimensions " + length + " X " + width;
}and
public class Mountains extends Terrain
    private int mountains;
     * Constructor for objects of class Mountains
    public Mountains(int l, int w, int mountNumber)
        super(l, w);
        //intialise the variable
        mountains = mountNumber;
    public String NumberMountains()
        return "Mountain Land has dimensions " + length + " X " + width + "and has " + mountains + " mountains.";
}It tells me that "length" cannot be used in the Mountains class due to the fact that it's private in the Terrain class. Is there any way to use this variable without losing it's private declaration?

Answer 1

Expose that variable through a getter method. Otherwise, no, there isn't, since that's what private means. You could also make the variable protected, if you really wanted to