Hello Jetto Net followers!

In this part of our Java Object Oriented Programming (OOP) series, we will meet an important security guard that allows us to control how objects are modified: Access Modifiers.

What are Access Modifiers?

Access modifiers are keywords that determine the scope from which members of a class (attributes and methods) can be accessed. In this way, we can protect the internal structure of objects, ensure data integrity and make our code more secure.

Access Specifiers in Java

Java has four basic access specifiers:

1. public: When a class member is marked as public, that member can be accessed from any class in the same project. This is the broadest level of access.
2. private: When a class member is marked as private, it can only be accessed from within its own class. This is the most restricted access level.
3. protected: When a class member is marked as protected, it can be accessed by classes and subclasses within the same package.
4. default: If a class member is not prefixed with any access specifier, it has a default access level. In this case, that member can only be accessed by classes within the same package.

Why should we use access specifiers?

Encapsulation: Access specifiers allow us to implement the encapsulation principle. By hiding the internal structure of objects, we protect data integrity and make the code more secure.
Maintainability of Code: Access identifiers make the code better organized and easier to understand.
Code Reusability: Access identifiers make code easier to reuse in different projects.

How to Use Access Designators?

Access identifiers are written in front of class members (attributes and methods).

public class Car {
   public String brand; 		// Accessible from anywhere
   private int speed; 			// Accessible only from the Car class
   protected String model; 		// Accessible from the same package and subclasses
   int year; 					// Accessible from the same package (default)
}

Access designators are an important part of object-oriented programming in Java. By using access specifiers correctly, we can ensure that our code is safer, better organized and more reusable.

In our next article, we will continue to explore other important concepts of OOP. Stay tuned!

Feel free to leave your questions or thoughts in the comments section.