What are client methods in Java?
<p>I'm relatively new to Java and trying to learn more about the terminology. As I was reading, I came across the term <code>client methods</code> in a discussion about public, private and static variables. </p>

<p>Here are a two questions that I have regarding this term:</p>

<ul>
<li>Are <code>client methods</code> simply all methods that are not declared within a specific file? Say I have two files, one called <code>File1.java</code> and the other <code>File2.java</code>. If <code>File2.java</code> contained a method called <code>printText</code>, would that be considered a <code>client method</code> from the perspective of <code>File1</code>? </li>
<li>Why are they called "<code>client</code>" methods, what exactly defines a client? Are there <code>client variables</code> too? </li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Edit:</strong> As a reference, I saw this term in the current latest edition of the <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/1438005946" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Barron's AP Computer Science A book</a>, here is a direct quote: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The variable OVERDRAWN_PENALTY is an example in the BankAccount class.
  Since the variable is public, it can be used in any client method. [...]  A
  client method would refer to the variable as
  BankAccount.OVERDRAWN_PENALTY. In its own class it is referred to as
  simply OVERDRAWN_PENALTY.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Re-Edit</strong>, this part was included a bit before the quote above:  </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Similarly public methods are accessible to all client programs.
  Clients, however, are not privy to the class implementation and may
  not access the private instance variables and private methods of the
  class.</p>
</blockquote>