# Kotlin protected static function behaves differently as in Java
**URL:** https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/kotlin-protected-static-function-behaves-differently-as-in-java/7528
**Category:** Language Design
**Created:** [April 23, 2018, 5:28am UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/kotlin-protected-static-function-behaves-differently-as-in-java/7528 "2018-04-23T05:28:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Andras](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/Andras)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 5:28am UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/kotlin-protected-static-function-behaves-differently-as-in-java/7528/1 "2018-04-23T05:28:43Z")
Sorry if this has already been posted.
Consider this Java code:
```
public class A {
protected int number;
public A(int number) {
this.number = number;
}
}
public class B extends A{
private B(int number) {
super(number);
}
public static B createFromA(A a) {
return new B(a.number);
}
}
```
Kotlin equivalent would be:
```
open class A(protected val number: Int)
class B private constructor(number: Int) : A(number) {
companion object {
@JvmStatic
fun createFromA(a: A) = B(a.number)
}
}
```
Though `a.number` is not visible from the static function.
Could anyone please help me how I could work around that fields with `protected` visibility are not visible from inheritors’ static function? Thank you in advance.
---
### Author:  [@forinil2](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/forinil2)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 7:55am UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/kotlin-protected-static-function-behaves-differently-as-in-java/7528/2 "2018-04-23T07:55:35Z")
The only thing that I can think of is making public pseudo-getter:
```kotlin
open class A(protected val number: Int) {
fun number() = number
}
class B private constructor(number: Int) : A(number) {
companion object {
@JvmStatic
fun createFromA(a: A) = B(a.number())
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@Andras](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/Andras)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2018, 12:37pm UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/kotlin-protected-static-function-behaves-differently-as-in-java/7528/3 "2018-04-23T12:37:56Z")
I think I’ve found a slightly more elegant example than making it public. However, this seems very hacky and unintended by design.
```
open class A(protected val number: Int) {
companion object {
@JvmStatic
protected val A._number
get() = number
}
}
class B private constructor(number: Int) : A(number) {
companion object {
@JvmStatic
fun createFromA(a: A) = B(a._number)
}
}
```
Could someone please shed some light on what the difference between Java-protected and Kotlin-protected visbility is?
---
### Author:  [@tieskedh](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/u/tieskedh)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2018, 8:12am UTC](https://discuss.kotlinlang.org/t/kotlin-protected-static-function-behaves-differently-as-in-java/7528/4 "2018-04-24T08:12:12Z")
Java protected means that it’s not only protected (that is children can access) but also package local.
In kotlin, protected really means only children can access.