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C# - Class Access Modifiers
Language(s):C#
Category(s):Class Access Modifiers
Class access modifiers can be a bit confusing. Here's a simple chart and test project you can use to keep track of who can call whom.

C# - Class Access Modifiers

C#

Class Access Modifiers

Class access modifiers can be a bit confusing. Here's a simple chart and test project you can use to keep track of who can call whom.

Having missed an interview question about Access Modifiers using C# - I figured I'd better nail the issue of Access Modifiers in C# into my head once and for all. 

Of course by Access Modifiers I am referring to the scope allowed for the class, property, method or event: public, private, protected, internal and protected internal. Here is a chart that lists the different types of access modifiers and how they work:

public:

            Callable from its own class:               Yes

            Callable from its own assembly:        Yes

            Callable from a different assembly:   Yes

            Callable from a derived class:            Yes  

 

private

            Callable from its own class:                Yes

            Callable from its own assembly:          No

            Callable from a different assembly:     No

            Callable from a derived class:              No  

 

protected

            Callable from its own class:                Yes

            Callable from its own assembly:          No

            Callable from a different assembly:     No

            Callable from a derived class:             Yes  

 

internal

            Callable from its own class:                Yes

            Callable from its own assembly:         Yes

            Callable from a different assembly:     No

            Callable from a derived class:              No  

protected internal

            Callable from its own class:                Yes

            Callable from its own assembly:         Yes

            Callable from a different assembly:     No

            Callable from a derived class:             Yes  

 

So to illustrate the same idea in code:

namespace ExternalClassLibrary

{

    public class clsBaseClass

    {

            .

            .

            .

    }

 

    /// <summary>

    /// clsDerivedClass - Note that this class is declared in 

    ///                   the same namespace as the base class

    /// </summary>

    class clsDerivedClass

    {

        //This class can call anything in the

        //base class declared as

        //public, protected, internal or protected internal

            .

            .

            .

    }

 }

But - if you have a derived class in another *assembly* you cannot call the internal member:

namespace AnotherNamespace

{

    /// <summary>

    /// clsAnotherDerivedClass - Note that this class is declared in 

    ///                   the same namespace as the base class

    /// </summary>

    class clsAnotherDerivedClass

    {

        //This class can call anything in the

        //base class declared as

        //public, protected or protected internal

        //but not internal

            .

            .

            .

    }

 }

 

So - a derived class *can* call a method declared as internal in the base class *if* the derived class is in the same assembly but it *cannot* call the internal method if the derived class is in a *different* assembly.

You can always call a base class method declared as protected or protected internal from the derived class.

A non-derived class can call a method in another class declared as internal if the non-derived class is in the same assembly - otherwise no. A non-derived class can *not* call a protected class in another class.

From: Idioma - 2009-03-30
Test

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