Modifiers in Java

Modifiers Matrix

This table (matrix) shows which modifier to which element can be applied.

See a matrix of the Protection Modifiers in Java - how they set the visibility and the access rights.

Modifiers-Elements Matrix in Java
element	Data field	Method	Constructor	Class		Interface
modifier	Data field	Method	Constructor	top level (outer)	nested (inner)	top level (outer)	nested (inner)
abstract	no	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes
final	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	no	no
native	no	yes	no	no	no	no	no
private	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no	yes
protected	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no	yes
public	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
static	yes	yes	no	no	yes	no	yes
synchronized	no	yes	no	no	no	no	no
transient	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no
volatile	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no
strictfp	no	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes

a method declaration can contain only one of the access modifiers public, protected and private
classes cannot be declared abstract and final simultaneously
abstract methods cannot be declared private, static, final, native, strictfp or synchronized
methods cannot be declared native and strictfp simultaneously
abstract and native methods have no body
- abstract void method();
- native void method();
a class that contains abstract method(s) must be declared abstract
final fields cannot be volatile