Encapsulation
Encapsulation is one of the four fundamental Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts, along with inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction. It involves bundling the data (attributes) and methods (behaviors) that operate on the data into a single unit, known as a class.
- In Java, encapsulation is achieved using access modifiers such as private, protected, and public:
Private Access Modifier:
Variables and methods declared as private are accessible only within the same class. They cannot be accessed directly from outside the class.
public class MyClass
{
private int myPrivateVariable;
private void myPrivateMethod()
{
// Implementation
}
public void accessPrivate()
{
// Can access private members within the same class
myPrivateVariable = 10;
myPrivateMethod();
}
}
Protected Access Modifier:
Variables and methods declared as protected are accessible within the same package or by subclasses (even if they are in different packages).
package mypackage;
public class MyClass
{
protected int myProtectedVariable;
protected void myProtectedMethod() {
// Implementation
}
}
Public Access Modifier:
Variables and methods declared as public are accessible from any other class.
public class MyClass
{
public int myPublicVariable;
public void myPublicMethod()
{
// Implementation
}
}
Private Members:
Study the concept of private members in Java classes. Learn how private variables and methods are accessible only within the same class and how encapsulation helps in data hiding and preventing unauthorized access.
Getter and Setter Methods:
Explore the use of getter and setter methods to access and modify private variables. Understand their importance in providing controlled access to encapsulated data, enforcing validation rules, and maintaining data integrity.