What is the difference between access specifiers and access modifiers?

Question

In Java, are access specifiers and access modifiers the same thing?

Hamel

Interesting, I've never seen this particular question before in years, but you're apparently not the only one who wondered about this: google.com/search?q=difference+access+specifier+access+modifier ;) – Hola

Answer 1

"access modifier" is the official term for private, protected and public used in the Java language specification. "access specifier" is used synonymously in the Java API doc, but this is the first time I've noticed that. It's probably better to stick with the JLS term.

Bi

+1 for proving with the JLS. I think that it's after all just the language barrier. – Hola

Answer 2

The term Access specifier used by c++ programmers not in java. In java Officially we use Access Modifier.

For example: when we declare a class with private, static the compiler clearly shows the error message as follows:

Valuation

Answer 3

Referring to the Sun Java Docs they both seem to be the same:

• Access Modifier
• Search for access specifier on this page.

Overman

Answer 4

Java has basically 2 types of Modifiers:

1. java access modifiers
2. java non-access modifiers

Java access modifiers and Java access specifiers are the same thing, which are public, private, protected.

Aubreyaubrie

Answer 5

In some older languages public, private, protected and default like C++ are considered as access specifiers and everything else is considered as access modifier but in Java there is no terminology for specifier, everything is by default considered as modifier only. So public, private, protected, default, final, abstract, static, strictfp, synchronized, native, transient and volatile are all modifiers only.

Simple test for it is when we compile the following code

private class Test{ }

we will get compile time error saying that modifier private not allowed here. This is true for other modifiers also. Maybe java compiler (javac) sees everything as a "modifier" only.

Christiechristin

Answer 6

There is nothing known as "Access specifiers" in java, there are only Access modifiers in java

The misconception is from languages like C++ where public, private, protected, default are considered as Access specifiers and remaining (static, final, etc) are considered as access modifiers

Following is the proof as compiler says "modifier private not allowed here" i.e. compiler said modifier and not specifier

Thimbleweed

Answer 7

According to me, yes, both terms refer to the same thing and are used interchangeably.

Gnathion

It's not up to you, it is up to the JLS, and the term 'access specifier' doesn't appear there at all. – Norling

Answer 8

That JDI reference is the only place I have ever seen the term 'access specifier' used in a Java specification. Even there, public/protected/private/package are also called 'modifiers'. There's really no reason to ever use the term 'access specifier' in Java, it is clearly just a mistake on one page out of many thousands.

Norling

Answer 9

Technically speaking private, public, protected and default are treated as access specifiers. These deal with who can ... questions. The modifiers afaik are volatile, final, static, transient etc. These deal with how does .. aspect.

Pages

Please provide a JLS citation for this assertion. It is baseless. – Norling