This may be one of most lame questions yet: Can someone explain in the most simplest terms to me how and/or why it would be needed to hide a member variable?
I have been in the middle of this JAVA class and most makes sense but there are small things like this that I just can't grab. The root of my question comes from the JAVA Tutorial 2nd ed. page 107-108. I read and re-read it and still can't get it. Thanks for your help. b.

...newbie to the JAVA world, be gentle.
I have many questions.