Encapsulation (computer programming): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:03, 18 March 2013

Revision as of 19:03, 18 March 2013

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* A language mechanism for restricting access to some of the [[object (computer science)|object]]'s components.<ref>[[John C. Mitchell]], ''Concepts in programming languages'', Cambridge University Press, 2003, ISBN 0-521-78098-5, p.522</ref><ref name=Pierce>{{cite book|last=Pierce|first=Benjamin|authorlink=Benjamin C. Pierce|title=[[Types and Programming Languages]]|publisher=MIT Press|year=2002|isbn=0-262-16209-1}} p. 266</ref>

* A language construct that facilitates the bindlingbundling of data with the methods <!-- I object to the word method being used here because in lisp languages programmers cannot distinguish methods from normal functions at the call site. Behavior equivalent to methods may be implemented as normal functions. encapsulation is not dependent on implementation but on behavior--> (or other functions) operating on that data.<ref>Wm. Paul Rogers, [http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-05-2001/jw-0518-encapsulation.html?page=9 ''Encapsulation is not information hiding''], JavaWorld.com, 05/18/01</ref><ref>Thomas M. Connolly, Carolyn E. Begg, ''Database systems: a practical approach to design, implementation, and management'', Edition 4, Pearson Education, 2005, ISBN 0-321-21025-5, Chapter 25, "Introduction to Object DMBS", section "Object-oriented concepts", p. 814</ref>

Some programming language researchers and academics use the first meaning alone or in combination with the second as a [[Object oriented programming#features|distinguishing feature of object oriented programming]], while other programming languages which provide [[Closure (computer programming)|lexical closures]] view encapsulation as a feature of the language [[orthogonal]] to object orientation.