Having some trouble with class reuse

[Unca Paddy]

Background: using Bruce Eckle's "Thinking in Java", 3rd ed.
Problem: when inheriting from a base class, some methods can't be accessed.
in particular:

class Cleanser {
private String s = new String("Cleanser");
public void append(String a) { s += a; }
public void dilute() { append(" dilute()"); }
public void apply() { append("apply()"); }
public void scrub() { append("scrub()"); }
public String toString() { return s; }
public static void main (String[] args) {
Cleanser x = new Cleanser();
x.dilute(); x.apply(); x.scrub();
System.out.println(x);
}
}

class Detergent extends Cleanser {
// change a method:
public void scrub() {
append ("Detergent.scrub()");
super.scrub();
}
// add methods to the interface:
public void foam() { append(" foam()"); }
// test the new class:
public static void main (String[] args) {
Detergent x = new Detergent();
x.dilute(); x.apply(); x.scrub(); x.foam();
System.out.println (x);
System.out.println ("Testing the base class" );
Cleanser.main(args);
}
}

class Autoclave extends Detergent {
public void scrub() {
System.out.println("Autoclave Scrub");
}

public void sterilize() {
System.out.println ("Sterilizing");
}

public static void main (String[] args) {
Autoclave a = new Autoclave();
Cleanser.dilute();
a.apply();
a.scrub();
a.foam(); // compiles fine when commented out.
a.sterilize();
//System.out.println ("Calling Cleanser scrub()");
}
}

++++++++++++++++++
In Autoclave.main() if I comment out the line
a.foam();
the class compiles fine and everything works. Otherwise, the compiler complains that it cannot see that method.

What am I doing wrong?

[sjalle]

Oh ?, the only error I get when compiling this is the usage of dilute() as a
static method (in class Autoclave) which it is not.

If a method of a parent class is invisible to its descendants then that method
is declared as private in the parent class, foam() is public,

[Unca Paddy]

I figured it out. I was trying to inherit from the wrong class, unlike in my post. Is there a color for stooopid?

[sjalle]

Weeelll,... green I guess..