Encapsulation

Encapsulation, in computer science and software engineering, is the bundling of data (attributes) and the methods (operations) that operate on that data within a single unit, often a class or object. It protects the internal state of an object from direct access and modification from the outside, promoting data hiding and modularity. This mechanism allows for controlled access to the object's data, ensuring data integrity and facilitating code reusability by simplifying interfaces. encapsulation is a key principle of object-oriented programming, enabling abstraction and reducing complexity by concealing the internal workings of an object.

Encapsulation meaning with examples

• In this program, the 'BankAccount' class encapsulates account balance (data) and deposit/withdraw methods (operations). This encapsulation keeps the balance secure and allows for controlled transactions. For instance, direct modification of the balance by outside code is prevented, promoting data integrity.
• The use of private variables within the 'Car' class exemplifies encapsulation. These variables, such as engine type, are only accessible through public methods like 'startEngine()' and 'getFuelLevel()'. This prevents external, accidental modifications and ensures controlled engine behavior.
• The 'ShoppingCart' class in an e-commerce application encapsulates items, quantity, and methods for adding, removing, and calculating the total cost. This shields the internal shopping cart mechanics from the user interface, which reduces complexity in the application overall.
• Encapsulation of a 'NetworkPacket' in networking, ensures that packet data (headers, payload) is managed in a secure and efficient manner. This modularity allows each part of the system to function on its own, while still collaborating and sending data in a reliable fashion.
• The use of getters and setters in a 'User' class to access and modify user data represents effective encapsulation. This allows developers to add validation checks and ensure data consistency before the data is added to, or retrieved from the user object.