Encapsulation
Encapsulation is one of the fundamental principles of Object-Oriented Programming. It involves bundling data (attributes) and methods that operate on that data within a single unit (class), while restricting direct access to some components to prevent accidental modification.
Understanding Access Modifiers
Section titled “Understanding Access Modifiers”Access modifiers control the visibility and accessibility of class members (attributes and methods).
Access Levels Comparison
Section titled “Access Levels Comparison”Protected Attributes/Members
Section titled “Protected Attributes/Members”Protected members are intended for internal use but can be accessed by subclasses.
Private Attributes/Members
Section titled “Private Attributes/Members”Private members are truly internal and should not be accessed from outside the class.
Properties: The Pythonic Way
Section titled “Properties: The Pythonic Way”In Python, you usually don’t write getters/setters unless you need validation or transformation. Properties provide a clean way to add getters/setters.
Encapsulation in Practice
Section titled “Encapsulation in Practice”Bad Example: No Encapsulation
Section titled “Bad Example: No Encapsulation”Good Example: Proper Encapsulation
Section titled “Good Example: Proper Encapsulation”Visual Representation
Section titled “Visual Representation”
Key Takeaways
Section titled “Key Takeaways”Remember: In Python, encapsulation is more about convention and design than strict enforcement. In Java, encapsulation is enforced by the compiler. The goal is to create clear interfaces and prevent accidental misuse.