Question regarding private modifier.

[sharma ishu]

1.public class Later{
2. public static void main(String[] args){
3. boolean earlyExit=new Later().test1(args);
4. if(earlyExit) assert false;
5. new Later().test2(args);
6. }
7. boolean test1(String[] a){
8. if(a.length==0) return false;
9. return true;
10. }
11. private void test2(String[] a){
12. if (a.length==2) assert false;
13. }
14.}

QUESTION: Shouldn't line 5 produce a compiler error as it is trying to access private member of class using dot operator? OR this code works just fine?

[Seetharaman Venkatasamy]

private method is belongs to a class, where it is declared and it is visible with in that class

JLS:http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se5.0/html/names.html#6.6.8

[sharma ishu]

Seetharaman Venkatasamy wrote:private method is belongs to a class, where it is declared and it is visible with in that class

JLS:http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se5.0/html/names.html#6.6.8

So you mean to say that "the function is called from the main method in the same class , so this is legal'?

[gurpeet singh]

ishusharma sharma wrote:

Seetharaman Venkatasamy wrote:private method is belongs to a class, where it is declared and it is visible with in that class

JLS:http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se5.0/html/names.html#6.6.8

So you mean to say that "the function is called from the main method in the same class , so this is legal'?

private members are accessible by other members OF THE SAME CLASS in which the private member is declared . it is private to the class. the class in which it is declared can see it.

[sharma ishu]

gurpeet singh wrote:

ishusharma sharma wrote:

Seetharaman Venkatasamy wrote:private method is belongs to a class, where it is declared and it is visible with in that class

JLS:http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se5.0/html/names.html#6.6.8

So you mean to say that "the function is called from the main method in the same class , so this is legal'?

private members are accessible by other members OF THE SAME CLASS in which the private member is declared . it is private to the class. the class in which it is declared can see it.

But the main method is static?

[gurpeet singh]

then what ? main method is still member of the class and as a member it can access all the members of ITS class.

[Seetharaman Venkatasamy]

ishusharma sharma wrote:But the main method is static?

correct and your instance method should invoked using an object since static method dont have implicit this parameter.
new Later().test2(args);