Private static MyInnerClass extends OtherClass + protected methods

Question

Hi!
Consider this case:
public class A {
private static class A1 extends B {
// this would resolve the error:
//       protected static void b() { B.b(); }
void a() { A1.b(); } // ERROR: B.b() is inaccessible
public class B {
protected static void b() {}
}(Where A and B are in different packages.)
Why is B.b() inaccessible here?
A1 extends B, so it sees its protected methods.
A is a nesting class of A1, so it sees the protected methods of A1.
What am I missing here?
Thank you!
Agoston

Answer 1

OK, my mistake, I missed the part about different
packages.
However the following further inner class of A
compiles for me:
     private static class A2 extends A1
          A2()
               b();
               A1.b();
     }using the OP's original code without A1.b().That's what I was talking about: b() can be called from children, but not from the nesting class.
>
The statement quoted from the JCP exam is not
correct. The inherited protected member is available
to subclasses of A1, so the protected member
b() doesn't 'become private' at all. It stays as is
was, i.e. protected, i.e. accessible within the
original package or to subclasses.If it stays protected, why can't the nesting class see it? (Once again, a protected method defined in A1 and not inherited from B is visible from A.)
It seems as if the inherited protected method teleports into some mysterious realm of visibility levels between private and protected. (I.e. it's like protected, only from a nesting class it's seen as super-private - since the nesting class should even be able to see the private methods of its inner class, shouldn't it?)
This whole inconsequent behavior on the part of the compiler feels like a huge bug to me.
Nothing changes.Unfortunately. :)
Agoston