Get the splitter orientation and other info on a splitter

In EditorWindow 

void changeOrientation() {
  checkConsistency();
  final Container parent = myPanel.getParent();
  if (parent instanceof Splitter) {
    final Splitter splitter = (Splitter)parent;
    splitter.setOrientation(!splitter.getOrientation());
  }
}

You can find splitter.getOrientation()  requiring a call to parent. Both these are not available as they are not public. 

Is it impossible to get the actual orientation? Why are all these things private and what not.

You need to take into consderation plugin development.