What does the keyword "public" indicate about a class in Java?

The keyword "public" in Java is an access modifier that indicates the visibility of a class, method, or variable. When a class is declared as public, it means that it can be accessed by any other class, regardless of the package in which those classes reside. This is important in object-oriented programming, as it allows for greater interaction and reuse of code across different parts of an application or even across different applications.

Making a class public is common when you want to expose that class as part of an API or library, allowing other developers to use it freely without restrictions. Understanding the implications of this keyword is fundamental for proper encapsulation and design in Java programming.