please explain why the compiler is not complaining and why the output is 0

[Jacob Sonia]

  public class AQuestion 
{ 
     private int i = giveMeJ(); 
     private int j = 10; 

     private int giveMeJ() 
     { 
          return j; 
     } 

     public static void main(String args[]) 
     { 
          System.out.println((new AQuestion()).i); 
     } 
} 

  

[Aurelian Tutuianu]

It compiles because main can acces prvate variable i because main is in the class which holds i. So it can access everything from that class.

It gives 0 because the initialization of member variable i is done BEFORE the initialization of the member variable j. So first giveMeJ return default value of j, which is 0 for int type.

See JLS - 8.3.2.3 Restrictions on the use of Fields during Initialization