Invoking private method using Reflection API

[sujith Acharya]

I searched this in the forum, but couldn't find answer to this, so I am posting it here.

I tried to call private methods outside the class using the Reflection API. Is it not the violation of encapsulation in OOP?

Thanks

[Rob Spoor]

Yes it is. Reflection is a powerful tool, and it shouldn't be used lightly. With it you can invalidate many invariants in Java. You can even modify Strings with it! That's why you should always consider setting up the right security permissions. With these you can disallow accessing private members.