# What do final / static / public / private tags mean?

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-do-final-static-public-private-tags-mean/27002>\
**Category:** Beginners\
**Created:** [January 12, 2021, 10:11pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-do-final-static-public-private-tags-mean/27002 "2021-01-12T22:11:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![GoToLoop](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/gotoloop/32/86_2.png) [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 10:31pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/what-do-final-static-public-private-tags-mean/27002/2 "2021-01-12T22:31:41Z")

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> [@CodeMasterX](#):
>
> Is it somehow related that the variables defined at the top of the code are public,

- Variables defined outside functions are actually Java fields.
- Anything inside “.pde” files are inside a [PApplet](https://discourse.processing.org/t/terminology-function-method-and-event/16855) subclass.
- That’s why we can directly access [PApplet](https://processing.github.io/processing-javadocs/core/processing/core/PApplet.html) members w/o the operator `.` dot:

> **[. (dot) / Reference](https://processing.org/reference/dot.html)**
>
> Provides access to an object's methods and data. An object is one instance of a class and may contain both methods (object functions) and data (object variables and constants), as specified in the cla…

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