A private member is visible only inside the class or object that contains the member definition

class Car(val m : String) // immutable paramters
{
  private var maker : String = m;

  override def toString : String = {return "Maker: %10s".format(maker)}
}

object Demo
{
  def main(args: Array[String])
  {
    val c = new Car("Buick"); // immutable reference
    println(c); // Buick

    //c.maker = "Honda"; // error
  }
}
		

A protected member is only accessible from subclasses of the class in which the member is defined

class Vehicle(val m : String)
{
  protected var maker : String = m;

  def disp() {println("Maker: "+maker)}
}
		

class Car(override val m : String, var year : Int) extends Vehicle(m)
{
  override def disp()
  {
    println("Maker: "+maker+" Year: "+year)
  }
}
		

object Demo
{
  def main(args: Array[String])
  {
    val c = new Car("Buick", 1998); // immutable reference

    c.disp();
  }
}
		

default, not required to specify Public keyword for Public members, such members can be accessed from anywhere

class Car(val m : String) // immutable paramters
{
  var maker : String = m;

  override def toString : String = {return "Maker: %10s".format(maker)}
}

object Demo
{
  def main(args: Array[String])
  {
    val c = new Car("Buick"); // immutable reference
    println(c); // Buick

    c.maker = "Honda";
    println(c); // Honda
  }
}