Welcome to the Treehouse Community
Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.
Looking to learn something new?
Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.
Start your free trial![](https://ecs-static.teamtreehouse.com/assets/views/marketing/shared/community-banner-white-47072046c51352fe6a69f5e691ff5700b28bb11d45197d7bdf066d9ea3f72d0c.webp)
![Guillaume Crt](https://uploads.teamtreehouse.com/production/profile-photos/9293472/micro_arton94358.jpg)
Guillaume Crt
6,395 PointsConfused about -- mCreationDate.compareTo(other.mCreationDate) --
I may be forgetting a point previously seen in videos but "other.mCreationDate" confuses me I'd rather write "other.getCreationDate". Is that because it is a private variable in the class ? Anyone can explain that to me please ?
1 Answer
![Pedro Cabral](https://uploads.teamtreehouse.com/production/profile-photos/9376322/micro_944631_113653238838090_28744404_n.jpg)
Pedro Cabral
33,586 PointsThe field mCreationDate is indeed private. However, other is a Treet and the code that you are writing is in a method called compareTo inside the class that holds that private field, therefore it has access to it. Having access to it, it doesn't need to request the value via getter, it can access the field directly.
Guillaume Crt
6,395 PointsGuillaume Crt
6,395 Pointsthanks Pedro !