Why subclass in another package cannot access a protected method?

Question

I have two classes in two different packages:

package package1;

public class Class1 {
    public void tryMePublic() {
    }

    protected void tryMeProtect         


        

Answer 1

First of all, you need to understand two things:

1) The protected member functions of a class 'X' in package 'Y' can be accessed by the subclass i.e. a class that extends it (even if the subclass is in the package other than 'Y'). That is why,

tryMeProtected(); // Showed no error because this was called by class 2 that is the subclass.

2) A protected member function of a class 'X' in package 'Y' cannot be accessed by itself if it is in other packages.

[ A simple analogy: A bird that has its eggs kept in a nest 1 has flown to a nest 2. From the nest 2, it cannot access its egg kept in nest 1.] Similarly, a class cannot access its member function (unless public declared.) if it is in the other package.

That is why :

c.tryMeProtected();  // Showed error because this was called by class 1 reference.
                     //  You can also think of it as class 1 cannot inherit itself.