[fpc-devel] protected members access across classes in the same package, but what about inherited cross package

[Martin Friebe]

Just a question, which came to my mind in relation to 
http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=11697

I understand that if you declare 2 classes in the same package (same 
file), then they are allowed to look at each others protected members 
(variables, properties, func, proc).
I wonder what the intend or language definition says about inherited 
protected members those classes have, if the parent implementation comes 
from different files?

Examples:

[file foo.pp]
type
   TThat = class(TObject)
    protected
      ThatValue : integer
   end;

   TThis = class(TObject)
     ....
   end;
implementation ...
[/end of file foo.pp]

I know it is correct that any code of TThis can access ThatValue.
If you have code in any other package/file (belonging to any other 
class) it should not be able to access ThatValue.

[file bar.pp]
type
  TThatFake class(TThat)
  end; // intntionally empty class

  TSomething = class(...)
 ....
[/end of file bar.pp]]

- If TThatFake had any code, then any code belonging to TThatFake would 
be allowed to see it's anchestor protected members, that would be correct.
- If TThatFake had any protected mebers implemented in bar.pp they 
should be visble to other code in bar.pp
- But what about inherited members? Should TSomething be able to access 
ThatValue?

I do not know the answer, it can be argued both ways. But it allows to 
bypass proper encapsulation as seen in the above link.

Best Regards
Martin