Java - Modifier Types

Modifiers are keywords that you add to those definitions to change their meanings. The Java language has a wide variety of modifiers, including the following:

• Java Access Modifiers
• Non Access Modifiers

To use a modifier, you include its keyword in the definition of a class, method, or variable. The modifier precedes the rest of the statement, as in the following examples (Italic ones) −

public class className {
   // ...
}
private boolean myFlag;
static final double weeks = 9.5;
protected static final int BOXWIDTH = 42;
public static void main(String[] arguments) {
   // body of method
}

Access Control Modifiers:

Java provides a number of access modifiers to set access levels for classes, variables, methods and constructors. The four access levels are:

• Visible to the package, the default. No modifiers are needed.
• Visible to the class only (private).
• Visible to the world (public).
• Visible to the package and all subclasses (protected).

Non Access Modifiers:

Java provides a number of non-access modifiers to achieve many other functionality.

• The static modifier for creating class methods and variables
• The final modifier for finalizing the implementations of classes, methods, and variables.
• The abstract modifier for creating abstract classes and methods.
• The synchronized and volatile modifiers, which are used for threads.

What is Next?

In the next section, I will be discussing about Basic Operators used in the Java Language. The chapter will give you an overview of how these operators can be used during application development.

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