Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
What Is Encapsulation in OOPs?
2.1.
Example
2.2.
C++
3.
Features of Encapsulation in OOPs
4.
Why do we need Encapsulation in OOPs?
5.
Advantages of Encapsulation in OOPs
5.1.
Data hiding
5.2.
Easier to understand
5.3.
Code reusability
5.4.
Improved maintainability
5.5.
Better control over class properties 
6.
Disadvantages of Encapsulation in OOPs
7.
Frequently Asked Questions
7.1.
What is the most important pillar of OOP?
7.2.
What is the encapsulation with example? 
7.3.
What is the difference between data abstraction and Encapsulation?
8.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
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Encapsulation in OOPs

Author Ravi Khorwal
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Introduction

Encapsulation in Object-Oriented Programming binds together data and the functions that handle it, keeping both protected from outside intervention and misuse. The crucial OOP notion of data hiding was born from data encapsulation. 

Encapsulation in OOPs

Classes and objects are used in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). It's used to decompose a program into reusable code templates (known as classes) that may be used to create specific instances of entities (objects).

What Is Encapsulation in OOPs?

The bundling up of data into a single unit is referred to as encapsulation. It's the glue that holds code and the data it manipulates together. Encapsulation can also be thought of as a protective shield that prevents data from being accessible by code outside of the shield. 

Encapsulation means that a class's variables or data are hidden from other classes and can only be accessed through member functions of the class in which it is stated.

The data hiding concept is achieved by making a class's members or methods private, and the class is presented to the end-user or the world without disclosing any information behind implementation using the abstraction concept, hence it's also known as a combination of data-hiding and abstraction.

Example

  • C++

C++

#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
class Encapsulation
{
private:
int a;
public:
void set(int x)
{
a =x;
}
int get()
{
return a;
}
};
int main()
{
Encapsulation obj;
obj.set(10);
cout<<obj.get();
return 0;
}
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Output:

10
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Features of Encapsulation in OOPs

Features of encapsulation are the following:

  • It restricts access to and modification of a class's fields and methods by exterior classes.
  • Encapsulation can also be used to achieve data hiding.
  • The decoupling of system parts is beneficial.
  • Encapsulation enables activities to access and change an object's state.

Why do we need Encapsulation in OOPs?

Encapsulation is one of the four pillars of OOPs (object-oriented programming). It refers to a set of data and functions that operate on it. It is a technique for preventing unwanted access to the values or functions of a structured data object within a class.

The class often includes publicly accessible methods (so-called getters and setters) that other classes use to get and change the values within the object.

Encapsulation is beneficial for a variety of reasons, including the following:

  • External code from a different part of our program does not change data in our object in an unexpected way.
     
  • We only need to know what outcome a method will produce when we use it; we don't need to know the underlying details or implementation of it.

Advantages of Encapsulation in OOPs

The advantages of encapsulation in Python include the following:

Data hiding

Encapsulation helps to maintain the integrity of an object's data by preventing external modification. 

Easier to understand

It reduces code complexity by hiding implementation details, making code easier to understand and maintain.

Code reusability

Encapsulation enables code reuse by creating a public interface for a class that can be used by other parts of the program.

Improved maintainability

It provides better control over the behavior of an object, as changes can be made to the implementation without affecting the rest of the program.

Better control over class properties 

Encapsulation helps to prevent naming conflicts by restricting the scope of variables and methods to the class where they are defined.

Disadvantages of Encapsulation in OOPs

  • Complexity: Encapsulation can increase the complexity of the codebase, making it harder for new developers to understand the internal workings of classes.
  • Overhead: It may introduce performance overhead due to getter and setter methods, especially if not properly optimized.
  • Tight Coupling: Can lead to tightly coupled code if not carefully designed, making modifications and maintenance challenging.
  • Accessibility: Restricts direct access to class fields, which might be inconvenient in some scenarios where direct access is necessary for efficiency.
  • Inflexibility: Overuse of encapsulation might lead to inflexible code, making it hard to extend or modify the behavior of classes without altering their interfaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important pillar of OOP?

"Encapsulation" is often considered the most crucial pillar of OOP, as it ensures data security and code organization.

What is the encapsulation with example? 

Encapsulation is used to restrict access of data members and functions in a class. Example - in the class “Employee” we can have data members as “Age” and “Name”, we use encapsulation to specify the access of these data members.

What is the difference between data abstraction and Encapsulation?

Abstraction is a technique of hiding unnecessary or unwanted information.  In comparison, Encapsulation is the method of wrapping up data in a single unit and also provides a method for protecting the data from the outside.

Conclusion

In this blog, we explored the concept of Encapsulation in OOPS in detail. We hope it increased the reader's understanding of OOPS concepts. Understanding and implementing encapsulation can greatly improve the robustness of your code and your efficiency as a developer. Whether you're just getting started or looking to deepen your understanding of OOPs, encapsulation is a concept well worth mastering.

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