How can this implementation of string constructor work (java)?

Question

 public String(String original) {
     int size = original.count;
     char[] originalValue = original.value;
     char[] v;
     if (originalValue.length > size) {
         // The array representing the String is bigger than the new
         // String itself.  Perhaps this constructor is being called
         // in order to trim the baggage, so make a copy of the array.
         int off = original.offset;
         v = Arrays.copyOfRange(originalValue, off, off+size);
     } else {
         // The array representing the String is the same
         // size as the String, so no point in making a copy.
         v = originalValue;
     }
     this.offset = 0;
     this.count = size;
    this.value = v;
 }

I am sorry if I am being stupid, but I don't get it. count and value fields are private, yet this code appears to somehow reach those values directly. How can this be?

Oliver Charlesworth · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-29 19:33:58Z

5

private means "only accessible by the class", not "only accessible by the object".

answered Apr 29, 2012 at 19:33

Oliver Charlesworth

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