[Chapter 13] 13.4 Modifiers
Author: David Flanagan
Date: Thu Jul 31 16:01:01 1997

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| Chapter 13 Java Syntax |

## 13.4 Modifiers

There are quite a few Java keywords that serve as modifiers for Java classes, interfaces, methods, and fields. They are described in Table 13.4.

Table 13.4: Java Modifiers
Modifier | Used On | Meaning
--- | --- | ---
abstract | class | The class contains unimplemented methods and cannot be instantiated.
interface | All interfaces are `abstract`. The modifier is optional in interface declarations.
method | No body is provided for the method (it is provided by a subclass). The signature is followed by a semicolon. The enclosing class must also be `abstract`.
final | class | The class may not be subclassed.
field | The field may not have its value changed (compiler may precompute expressions).
method | The method may not be overridden (compiler may optimize).
variable | Java 1.1 and later: the local variable or method or exception parameter may not have its value changed.
native | method | The method is implemented in C, or in some other platform-dependent way. No body is provided; the signature is followed by a semicolon.
none (package) | class | A non-`public` class is accessible only in its package
interface | A non-`public` interface is accessible only in its package
member | A member that is not `private`, `protected`, or `public` has package visiblity and is accessible only within its package.
private | member | The member is only accessible within the class that defines it.
protected | member | The member is only accessible within the package in which it is defined, and within subclasses.
public | class | The class is accessible anywhere its package is.
interface | The interface is accessible anywhere its package is.
member | The member is accessible anywhere its class is.
static | class | In Java 1.1, a class delared `static` is a toplevel class, not an inner class.
field | A `static` field is a "class field." There is only one instance of the field, regardless of the number of class instances created. It may be accessed through the class name.
initializer | The intializer is run when the class is loaded, rather than when an instance is created.
method | A `static` method is a "class method." It is not passed as an implicit `this` object reference. It may be invoked through the class name.
synchronized | method | The method makes non-atomic modifications to the class or instance, and care must be taken to ensure that two threads cannot modify the class or instance at the same time. For a `static` method, a lock for the class is acquired before executing the method. For a non-`static` method, a lock for the specific object instance is acquired.
transient | field | The field is not part of the persistent state of the object, and should not be serialized with the object.
volatile | field | The field may be accessed by unsynchronized threads, so certain code optimizations must not be performed on it.

Table 13.5 summarizes the visibility modifiers; it shows the circumstances under which class members of the various visibility types are accessible.

Table 13.5: Class Member Accessibility
Accessible to: | Member Visibility
--- | ---
public | protected | package | private
Same class | yes | yes | yes | yes
Class in same package | yes | yes | yes | no
Subclass in different package | yes | yes | no | no
Non-subclass, different package | yes | no | no | no

Operators |  | Reserved Words