How do you access private instance variables from another class?

[javaa]

Hi guys! I have this assignment and I need to have private instance variables but I also need to access them!

Here is the first part.

public class ConstructorDemo1 {
	public static void main( String [] args ) {
		Cube C1 = new Cube();

		System.out.println();
		System.out.println( "side is " + c1.getSide() );
	}
}

here is the code that has the stuff Im supposed to access:

public class Cube {
	private double side;

	public void setSide(double s) {
		if (s > 0)
			side = s;
		else
			error_message();
	}

	public double calculateVolume() {
		return side * side * side;
	}

	private void error_message() {
		System.out.println( "ERROR: Sides must be > 0");
	}
}

[Fubarable]

You use getter and setter methods, also known as accessor and modifier methods.

You already appear to be trying to call a getter method, getSide(), but don't appear to have given your Cube class this method yet. I suggest that you do this. Also take care of your capitalization as c1 is not the same as C1. If your code produces any errors you need to post those errors here so we can better understand any problems you might be having.

[javaa]

Thank you so much!
I updated my programs so they are now:

public class ConstructorDemo1 {
	public static void main( String [] args ) {
		Cube c1 = new Cube();

		System.out.println();
		System.out.println( "side is " + c1.side);
	}
}

and

public class Cube {
	private double side;

	public void setSide(double s) {
		if (s > 0)
			side = s;
		else
			error_message();
	}

	public double calculateVolume() {
		return side * side * side;
	}

	private void error_message() {
		System.out.println( "ERROR: Sides must be > 0");
	}
}

The error I am getting is:
ConstructorDemo1.java:6: error: side has private access in Cube
System.out.println("side is " + c1.side);
^
1 error

I know I can fix this by making side public but one of the requirements is that side is private.

Is there a way to call private variables from another class??

[pbrockway2]

Is there a way to call private variables from another class?

Variables are made private precisely so that you don't access them from other classes. So don't do that.

In #2 Fubarable suggested you create a public getter method getSide(). Something like this:

public class Cube {
    // other stuff here as you already have

    public double getSide() {
        // your code here
    }
}

Inside main() you don't try and access the private variable, instead you call the public method.

[javaa]

oh ok! thank you so much!