What is the difference between public, private and protected access modifiers in java?

n Java, access modifiers are keywords that define the scope or visibility of classes, methods, and fields in a program. There are four access modifiers in Java: public, private, protected, and package-private (default).

Here’s a brief explanation of each:

1. Public: Members (classes, methods, fields) marked as public are accessible from any other class.

There are no restrictions on accessing public members.

public class MyClass {
    public int myPublicField;
    public void myPublicMethod() {
        // code here
    }
}

2. Private: Members marked as private are only accessible within the same class.

They are not visible or accessible from any other class.

public class MyClass {
    private int myPrivateField;
    private void myPrivateMethod() {
        // code here
    }
}

3. Protected: Members marked as protected are accessible within the same package and by subclasses, regardless of the package they are in.

It provides a level of access between public and private.

public class MyClass {
    protected int myProtectedField;
    protected void myProtectedMethod() {
        // code here
    }
}

4. Default (Package-Private): If no access modifier is specified (also known as package-private), the default access level is used.

Members with default access are accessible only within the same package.

class MyClass {
    int myPackagePrivateField;
    void myPackagePrivateMethod() {
        // code here
    }
}

It’s important to choose the appropriate access level based on the design of your classes and the desired encapsulation. Using access modifiers helps in achieving encapsulation, which is a fundamental principle in object-oriented programming.