Nested Class Rules

Nested classes have many confusing rules. Table 6-1 will help you keep them straight.

Table 6-1. Nested class references

Type	Scope			Access			Keywords
	method	instance	class	method final	class final	class static	instance	abstract/final	private	protected	public
Anonymous
Limited-scope
Inner
Static nested

Although most of the nested classes in this chapter are not recommended for routine use, it is important that you understand their dynamics. You may come across these nested class types down the line, and knowing how they work could save you time and frustration. Although many developers tend to overuse nested classes, they can be a valuable asset to your development process. When it comes to modeling composition relationships and implementing internals of a class that you want to hide, they can't be beat.

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