If a method is declared as protected, where may the method be accessed

by

A protected method may only be accessed by classes or interfaces of the same package or by subclasses of the class in which it is declared.

In Java, if a method is declared as protected, it can be accessed in the following places:

  1. Within the same package: Any class within the same package as the class containing the protected method can access the method.
  2. Subclasses (even if they are in different packages): If a class in another package extends the class containing the protected method, the subclass can access the protected method.

Here’s a brief summary of Java’s access modifiers:

  • public: Accessible from anywhere.
  • protected: Accessible within the same package and by subclasses (even if they are in different packages).
  • default (package-private): Accessible only within the same package.
  • private: Accessible only within the same class.

Remember that the access level of a method or a member variable restricts where it can be accessed from, helping to encapsulate and control the visibility of code.