Accessing super class private variables from derived class

[FlimFlam]

Assume I have a default and a param constructor in both a subclass and a super class. The members are private.

So after validation logic in the sub class param. constructor, I want to access an instance variable of the super class's default constructor to set the subclass's matching variable to the default in the super class.

Is there anyway I can do this. Of course, I have inherited setters and getters.

Thanks.

[sjalle]

I want to access an instance variable of the super class's default constructor

This is a bit foggy, as an instance variable doesn't belong to a
constructor. Could you manage by duplicating the logic that generates
the superclass default value(s) in the subclass's param constructor ?

If this is wrong then please explain in more detail what you want to achieve.

[FlimFlam]

Here's part of the super class

public class Car implements Cloneable
{
private int year;
private int numDoors;
private double carPrice;
private String model;
private String color;

public Car()
{
year = 2002;
numDoors = 4;
color = "Blue";
carPrice = 12500;
model = "Nissan Altima";

}

public Car(int yr, int numD, String col, double carP, String mod)
{
// if_else to control year - sets to default year if invalid

if((yr >= 1970) && (yr <= 2005))
year = yr;

else
year = 2002;

// if_else to control # car doors - sets to default car doors if invalid

if((numD > 0) && (numD <= 5))
numDoors = numD;

else
numDoors = 4;

//no conditions for color

color = col;

// if_else to control car price - sets to default car prices if invalid

if((carP <= 50000) && (carP > 0))
carPrice = carP;

else
carPrice = 12500;

//no conditions for model

model = mod;

}

Now here's the sub

public class FamilyCar extends Car
{

private int mileage;

public FamilyCar()
{
super();
mileage = 15000;

}

public FamilyCar(int yr, int numD, String col, double carP, String mod, int mil)
{
// if_else to control year - sets to default year if invalid

if((yr >= 1970) && (yr <= 2005))
year = yr;

else
year = 2005;

// if_else to control # car doors - sets to default car doors if invalid

if(numD == 4)
numDoors = numD;

else
numDoors = 4;

//color must be Blue, black, Maroon, or Grey

if(col.equalsIgnoreCase("blue"))
color = col;
else if(col.equalsIgnoreCase("black"))
color = col;
else if(col.equalsIgnoreCase("maroon"))
color = col;
else if(col.equalsIgnoreCase("grey"))
color = col;
else
color = "blue";

// if_else to control car price - sets to default car prices if invalid

if((carP <= 20000) && (carP > 0))
carPrice = carP;

else
carPrice = 12500;

//no conditions for model

model = mod;

//validation logic for mileage

if((mil >= 1) && (mil <=200000 ))
mileage = mil;
else
mileage = 15000;

}

It has an extra data field. If you look in the param constructor in the sub class, instead of explicitly assigning blue as a defualt in the if else validation logic, I'd like to be able to conditionally assign it to the super class's default, which of course is blue. This is why I'd like to access the super's data field

I have to trim down some of the suplicate code and also try to leave all validation logic in the setters.

Also, the sub class has one extra datafield, mileage.

[sjalle]

You could declare a public (final ? ) static variable:

public static String dlftColor="blue";

in the superclass and access that in the sublass's default else clause
(or anywhere else for that matter) like:
else
col=Car.dlftColor;