Question 80 from Java rules round up

[sudha abc]

Question: Can one object access a private variable of another object of the same class?
Answer: Yes.

Can someone provide me with an example to substantiate the above please?

Thanks.

[Lakshmanan Arunachalam]

I dont think so!!

private variables of an object, can't be accessed directly neither by an object of the same class nor different class. Outside world can get access to the private variables of an object using only the non-private methods of that class.

[Jim Yingst]

Sure it's possible. We do it routinely in most equals() methods. For example:

class Point {
    private final int x, y;
 
    public Point(int x, int y) { this.x = x; this.y = y; }
 
    public final boolean equals(Object obj) {
        if (!(obj instanceof Point))
            return false;
        Point other = (Point) obj;
        return x == other.x && y == other.y;
    }
}

Here other.x and other.y refer to private fields of another object of the same class.

[sudha abc]

Thanks Jim.
I find the question little confusing. Should it be rephrased as:
Question: Can an instance method of a class access a private variable of another object of the same class?

Would you agree?

[Sasikanth Malladi]

Yes, it can.
"private" means private to the CLASS, not private to the object!!
Sashi

[Lakshmanan Arunachalam]

Thanks to all !

Now I got it.

[Purujit Saha]

public class Aprivate
{
private int i=0;

public Aprivate(int i)
{
this.i=i;
}

void m(Aprivate a)
{
System.out.println(a.i);
}

public static void main(String args[])
{
Aprivate a1=new Aprivate(12);
Aprivate a2=new Aprivate(10);
a2.m(a1);

}
}

[Karthikeyan Balasubramanian]

Hii sudha.....

Keep in mind that access refers to the inherited access..mostly..

If a class is able ti inherit a method of it's super class ,it means the subclass has the access to the method of the superclass.

tat's K&B says....

[Karthikeyan Balasubramanian]

And the solution to ur question is......it is possible if the objects created are in the same class.