What distinguishes a public class from a non-public class in Java?

• A. A public class can only be accessed within its package
• B. A public class can be accessed globally, outside its package
• C. A non-public class can have methods that cannot be overridden
• D. A non-public class can be accessed from anywhere in the application

Answer: (B)

A public class in Java is designed to be accessible from any other class, regardless of the package in which it is located. This means that when a class is declared as public, it can be accessed globally, facilitating code reuse and modular development across different packages. This characteristic is particularly useful when building libraries or frameworks that other developers can use.

In contrast, a non-public class (which can either be default or protected) has restricted visibility. A default class, for instance, can only be accessed by other classes within the same package, while a protected class can be accessed by subclasses or other classes within the same package. The ability to access a public class from anywhere in the application promotes a level of flexibility and integration that is not afforded to non-public classes, which are limited in their accessibility.