Access specifiers in Scala determine the visibility and accessibility of classes, traits, objects, methods, and variables. They help control the scope and modifiability of various elements within a program. Scala provides three main access specifiers: private, protected, and public.

Private Access Specifier

The private access specifier restricts access to the declared entity within its enclosing scope. It ensures that the entity is only accessible from within the class or object where it is defined. Private members are not accessible from outside the enclosing scope, including subclasses.

Protected Access Specifier

The protected access specifier allows access to the declared entity within its enclosing scope and its subclasses. It ensures that the entity is accessible within the class or object where it is defined and any subclasses derived from it.

Public Access Specifier

By default, if no access specifier is specified, the entity is considered public. Public members are accessible from anywhere, including other classes, objects, and subclasses.

Access specifiers in Scala provide control over the visibility and accessibility of various program elements. The private specifier restricts access to the enclosing scope, the protected specifier allows access within the enclosing scope and its subclasses, and the public specifier allows access from anywhere. By utilizing these access specifiers effectively, you can manage the accessibility and encapsulation of your Scala code.