java encapsulation

Encapsulation in Java is a mechanism of wrapping the data (variables) and code acting on the data (methods) together as as single unit. In encapsulation the variables of a class will be hidden from other classes, and can be accessed only through the methods of their current class, therefore it is also known as data hiding.

To achieve encapsulation in Java

• Declare the variables of a class as private.

• Provide public setter and getter methods to modify and view the variables values.

Benefits of Encapsulation:

• The fields of a class can be made read-only or write-only.

• A class can have total control over what is stored in its fields.

• The users of a class do not know how the class stores its data. A class can change the data type of a field and users of the class do not need to change any of their code.