Meaning of "Cannot reduce the visibility of the inherited method" with an interface

access-specifier, interface, java

Solution

In a Java interface each method is by default `public`:

Every method declaration in the body of an interface is implicitly abstract, so its body is always represented by a semicolon, not a block.

Every method declaration in the body of an interface is implicitly public. [..]

In an implementing class you are not allowed to reduce the visibility, and by not specifying an access modifier:

void print(){..}

you are specifying the access level default, which has lower visibility than `public`.

Problem

I have two files: ``` public interface PrintService { void print(PrintDetails details); class PrintDetails { private String printTemplate; } public interface Task { String ACTION = "print"; } } ``` and ``` public class A implements PrintService { void print(PrintDetails details) { System.out.println("printing: " + details); } String action = PrintService.Task.ACTION; } ``` I thought the code looks okay, but I am getting an error in the second file for the line `void print(PrintDetails details) {` that states: Cannot reduce the visibility of the inherited method from `PrintService`. Can someone explain what this means for me?

Original source

Related problems