Encapsulation is a programming concept that binds together data and functions that manipulate the data, and that keeps both safe from outside interference and misuse. It is a way of protecting data from being accessed by code outside the class or object in which it is declared.
Encapsulation is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP). It is the process of combining data and functions into a single unit, called an object. Encapsulation is used to hide the values or state of a structured data object inside a class, preventing unauthorized access to them. It is one of the four fundamental OOP concepts, along with abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism.
Encapsulation is a way of protecting the data in an object from accidental or intentional misuse. It is a protective shield that prevents the data from being modified by accident. It also prevents the data from being accessed by code outside the object’s definition.
Encapsulation is achieved by using access modifiers. These are keywords that control the visibility of the data and methods in an object. The most commonly used access modifiers are public, private, and protected. Public data and methods can be accessed by any code, private data and methods can only be accessed by the object itself, and protected data and methods can only be accessed by the object and its subclasses.
Encapsulation also helps to reduce the complexity of a program by hiding the implementation details of an object from the outside world. This makes it easier to maintain and modify the code, as the details of the implementation are hidden from the user.
Encapsulation is an important concept in OOP, as it helps to create a secure and maintainable codebase. It also helps to reduce the complexity of a program, making it easier to understand and modify.