Encapsulation (computer programming): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:10, 2 November 2023

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{{Short description|Bundling of data}}

In software systems, '''encapsulation''' refers to the bundling of data with the mechanisms or methods that operate on the data. It may also refer to the limiting of direct access to some of that data, such as an object's components.<ref name="Rogers01" /> Essentially, [[Encapsulation (computer programming)|encapsulation]] prevents external code from being concerned with the internal workings of an object.

Encapsulation allows developers to present a consistent interface that is independent of its internal implementation. As one example, encapsulation can be used to hide the values or state of a structured data object inside a [[Class (computer programming)|class]], preventing direct access to them by clients in a way that could expose hidden implementation details or violate [[State (computer science)|state]] invariance maintained by the methods.