Question

A class member declared protected becomes a member of subclass of which type?

(a) public member

(b) private member

(c) protected member

(d) static member

This question was addressed to me during a job interview.

This key question is from Inheritance topic in chapter Inheritance of Java

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(c) protected member

Explanation: In Java, when a class member (variable or method) is declared as protected, it means that the member is accessible within its own class, in subclasses (including those in different packages), and in the same package. When this member is inherited by a subclass, it retains its protected visibility in the subclass. Therefore, the subclass member remains a protected member.

In summary:

• The protected access modifier allows access to the member by subclasses (even if they are in different packages) but not by other unrelated classes.