8.1.1

Scope of a Class Type Name

CLASSES

8.1.1   Scope of a Class Type Name

The

Identifier

 in a class declaration specifies the name of the class. This class

name has as its scope ( 6.3) the entire package in which the class is declared. As

an example, the compilation unit:

package points;

class Point {

int x, y;

//

coordinates

PointColor color;

//

color of this point

Point next;

//

next point with this color

static int nPoints;

}

class PointColor {

Point first;

//

first point with this color

PointColor(int color) {

this.color = color;

}

private int color;

//

color components

}

defines two classes that use each other in the declarations of their class members.

Because the class type names

Point

 and

PointColor

 have the entire package

points

, including the entire current compilation unit, as their scope, this example

compiles correctly that is, forward reference is not a problem.

8.1.2   Class Modifiers

A class declaration may include

class modifiers

.

ClassModifiers:

ClassModifier

ClassModifiers ClassModifier

ClassModifier: one of

public

abstract final

The access modifier

public

 is discussed in  6.6. A compile time error occurs if

the same modifier appears more than once in a class declaration. If two or more

class modifiers appear in a class declaration, then it is customary, though not

required, that they appear in the order consistent with that shown above in the pro 

duction for

ClassModifier

.

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