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javaoopprotected

Why we have protected access specifier in java?

What is the example situation where protected is preferred, but not public? Can someone can elaborate it with example? I have already seen the chat for public, private and protected (see here).

Solution

  • A primary use of protected is cases where a subclass overrides a method that provides some internal details that you don't want to expose to the outside classes. Consider a class like

    class BaseAlgorithm {
     run() {
        commonStepOne();
        subclassSpecificStepTwo();
     }

     protected abstract subclassSpecificStepTwo();
}

    No one should be calling subclassSpecificStepTwo, so it wouldn't make sense to have it public.