Regarding Protected access specifier

Question

Hi ,
I thought that indeed you could access protected data member from another package IF you are using Inheritance. It makes the data memeber in question "friendly" to the derived class. At least that is my understanding.
You can not access protected data element directly in different packages. package test1;
public class Test123 {
protected int x=42;
package test2;
import test1.Test123;
public class Test234 extends test1.Test123{
     public static void main(String args[]){
          Test123 ob=new Test123();
          System.out.println("x="+ob.x);
but My question is that ..if u run this program its not compile..Compile time exception is throws saying that the field Test123.x is not visible..but according to protected access specifier this will work...and one thing that if i make field ' x ' of Test123 as public it is working... How it is possible ...can anybody pls help it out.. Thanx in advance...

Answer 1

This access is provided even to subclasses that reside in a different package from
the class that owns the protected feature.As you have found this (and similar) can be confusing.
Have a look at the Java Language Specification (http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/names.html#6.6.7) "6.6.7 Example: protected Fields, Methods, and Constructors". Can you see the difference between the delta() and delta3d() methods?
"A protected member or constructor of an object may be accessed from outside the package in which it is declared only by code that is responsible for the implementation of that object." As another example of this, the following compiles OKpackage test2;
import test1.Test123;
public class Test234 extends test1.Test123 {
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        Test234 ob = new Test234();
        System.out.println("x=" + ob.x);
}When run it prints "42" - showing that the same d@mn field is being accessed! Like you, I'd appreciate hearing a simple rationale for this (if there is one).