Questions tagged [access-modifiers]
Access modifiers control where variables can be accessed. The common ones are public, protected, and private. Use this tag for access issues caused by access modifiers.
37
questions
39
votes
8answers
3k views
Do access modifiers matter? [closed]
The theory is that access modifiers improve code safety because they support encapsulation of internal state. When doing OOP, every language I've used implements some kind of access restriction. I ...
2
votes
1answer
313 views
UML - Changing the visibility of operations when overriding them
I am trying to find out if it is allowed in the UML to change the visibility (access modifier) of an operation when overriding it. For example, in Java it is possible to increase the visibility of an ...
0
votes
1answer
383 views
Class structure: How should a binary tree and it's node class be implemented in Java in terms of class files?
In implementing a binary tree in Java, should the node class be a separate class file independent of the BinaryTreeclass, or should it be a default class in the same class file as the BinaryTree class?...
1
vote
3answers
270 views
Does access modifier of types matter in projects other than class libraries?
I know it matters for class libraries, but does it matter in projects that are not class libraries, e.g. console applications or GUI applications?
What's the difference if I use public or internal or ...
2
votes
6answers
319 views
When to sensibly use public variable in an OOP language?
After I learned to properly use private protected abstract sealed in a language like C# I found no reason to make a variable public ever again.
An interface to the variable is usually a public method ...
1
vote
1answer
276 views
Need to call private method in third party library. Copy all class or use reflection?
I need to call a method that is available in a third party library, but it is a private method. There is no direct or indirect way to obtain the same functionality via public methods available.
I ...
2
votes
0answers
105 views
Access modifiers in combination of interpreter pattern with template method pattern
Motivation: (Skip to "The Problem" if you don't need motivation for it)
As a project for myself, I'm writing an expression parser for certain kinds of mathematical expressions, and I'm using the ...
1
vote
3answers
3k views
Are protected properties evil? [duplicate]
Introductory piece of code:
class BaseClass
{
protected Foo MyFoo { get; }
}
class ChildClass : BaseClass
{
void SomeMethod()
{
MyFoo.DoStuff();
//Here, I have no idea ...
1
vote
0answers
149 views
How to create an “internal” api for my library which is not exposed to the user?
Note that my question is not platform specific so that's why I don't add the [kotlin] tag (the code is in Kotlin). If there is a Kotlin-specific answer I'd like to hear about it though
I am working ...
2
votes
2answers
142 views
Implementation wise fields per object in a class composing a collection of objects
Context
When implementing a class, there's a distinction between fields that are there because they are part of what the object is and fields that are there because they are needed to implement the ...
0
votes
1answer
49 views
Debug class responsibility, accessability
So I'm writing a Flocking System (http://www.red3d.com/cwr/boids/).
Each boid calculates it's vectors, I would like to draw these vectors with a helper class for debugging purposes.
Who should ...
1
vote
2answers
591 views
Private or default visibility for “file-private” members?
I have a class like this
public final class Outer {
static final class Inner {
/* Used in the package. */
void f() {...}
/* Used in Outer. */
WHATEVER void g() {.....
4
votes
1answer
7k views
Why is accessing virtual protected functions of a base class not allowed through a pointer of the base class type inside a derived class
Consider the following:
#include <iostream>
class Base {
public:
void go(){this->doSomething();}
protected:
virtual void doSomething(){std::cout << "base";}
}...
23
votes
5answers
11k views
Why did it not become a common pattern to use setters in the constructor?
Accessors and modifiers (aka setters and getters) are useful for three main reasons:
They restrict access to the variables.
For example, a variable could be accessed, but not modified.
They ...
2
votes
3answers
772 views
Testing properties with private setters
Currently in a part of my project a domain object like below exists:
public class Address
{
public virtual string HouseName { get; set; }
public virtual string HouseNumber { get; set; }
...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
How to motivate adaptive an shifting class access modifiers
At the new client, we had a discussion regarding access modifiers for classes, methods, members etc. One opinion was to keep things as private as possible, only allowing for protected (internal, ...
266
votes
17answers
23k views
Why have private fields, isn't protected enough?
Is the visibility private of class fields/properties/attributes useful? In OOP, sooner or later, you are going to make a subclass of a class and in that case, it is good to understand and being able ...
3
votes
1answer
211 views
Unit testing a large project with few publicly accessible components [duplicate]
I'm asking about C#, but this probably applies to most other languages as well.
Imagine I have a project with a lot of complex logic, split up into a lot of small components. Let's say that, among ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Access modifier of abstract class constructors
What access modifier should I use for my constructors in an abstract class, given that the class cannot be instantiated? It seems like the access modifier is superfluous and should be implicitly ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
How C# protected access modifier when applied to a member variable works
I have 2 classes, Base and child class.
Base class has a protected int variable. My understanding is that any protected member of a class can only be accessed in a child class, It cannot be accessed ...
26
votes
4answers
27k views
Is it bad practice to make methods public solely for the sake of unit testing? [duplicate]
I have a class with a public method. It has other methods that 'assist' with the purpose of the public method. The public method must be tested. However, I also want to unit test the private methods.
...
-2
votes
2answers
998 views
Why public access level method get overridden in java?
This question is raised with a clarification required to decide when to declare a method protected or public during class design of a package.
My point is, if one needs to override a method of a ...
2
votes
1answer
566 views
Is this JS code a good way for defining class with private methods?
I was recently browsing a open source JavaScript project. The project is a straight port from another project in C language. It mostly use static methods, packed together in classes. Most classes are ...
2
votes
1answer
99 views
Object pointer with privileged access?
Let's say you have
class Car with Car->tune() and Car->drive()
class CarDriver
class CarMechanic
Each CarDriver and CarMechanic object has a reference/pointer to a Car object.
The CarDriver object ...
0
votes
3answers
2k views
When to use default access modifier?
I want to understand, from design point of view, in what situations I should use default access modifier, and when I shouldn't.
I found this related question, that provides some basic explanations, ...
73
votes
7answers
82k views
Why have private static methods?
I just wanted to clear up a question I have. What is the point of having a private static method as opposed to a normal method with private visibility?
I would have thought an advantage to having a ...
26
votes
6answers
16k views
Why did Java make package access default?
I'm asking this question because I believe they did it for a very good reason and that most people do not use it properly, well from my experience in industry so far anyway.
But if my theory is true ...
4
votes
1answer
164 views
Is avoiding the private access specifier in PHP justified?
I come from a Java background and I have been working with PHP for almost a year now. I have worked with WordPress, Zend and currently I'm using CakePHP. I was going through Cake's lib and I couldn't ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
How can you denote the access modifiers “friend” and “protected friend” in UML?
The symbols for access modifiers that I know are relevant for many different languages:
public: +
private: -
...
14
votes
7answers
8k views
In Java, why were protected members made accessible to classes of the same package?
From the official documentation...
Modifier Class Package Subclass World
public Y Y Y Y
protected Y Y Y N
no modifier Y Y N ...
6
votes
6answers
4k views
Organizing Class Members in Regards to Access Modifier
If we look at typical implementation of a Class, we usually see the private members defined at the beginning and public( mostly functions and Accessors) defined towards the bottom. Now, is this a ...
6
votes
5answers
6k views
Using a SetProperty method to prevent accidental changes to a property
Is it good/bad practice to do the following:
public class MyClass {
public MyType MyProperty { get; private set; }
public void SetMyProperty(MyType myProperty) {
MyProperty = myProperty;
}
...
2
votes
3answers
686 views
Want to know performance issues of Class types & access modifiers
Someone suggested me to mark classes as SEALED that are not being inherited anywhere. I was using default style and was not concerned with the type of class. At present I don't have a benchmark tool ...
28
votes
3answers
10k views
Why aren't there explicit access modifiers in Python:
If 'explicit is better than implicit', why aren't there explicit access modifiers in Python: Public, Protected, Private, etc.?
I know that the idea is that the programmer should know what to do ...
8
votes
3answers
6k views
Should I use default access modifier or not — Coding practice?
Normally when creating new global variables I do not define its access modifier. So as per java it will adopt property default access modifier. When I'm need to access that variable in out of default ...
3
votes
4answers
899 views
How do you remember encapsulation types for effective use?
I've been attempting to learn C#.NET for the past month or so, and the array of ideas that seems to always trip me up is encapsulation. As this is one of the three pillars of OOP, I feel that I am ...
14
votes
6answers
4k views
Real-world scenarios for protected methods
Today I noticed that I basically never use protected methods in C++ code, because I rarely feel the need to call non-public methods of a parent. I do use protected in Java in the template method ...
