Hello Jetto Net followers!

Welcome to our Java Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) series. In this section, we will cover an important OOP principle known as "encapsulation," which protects the internal world of objects and ensures data security.

What is Encapsulation?

Encapsulation involves combining an object's data and the methods that operate on that data to restrict direct access from the outside. This helps us protect the internal structure of the object, maintain data integrity, and contribute to more secure code.

To illustrate encapsulation with a real-life example, consider a television. The internal structure of a television consists of many complex electronic circuits. However, when we use the television, we don't need to know these intricate details. We can simply change the channel, adjust the volume, or turn off the TV using the remote control. The internal workings of the television are encapsulated, meaning they are hidden from us.

Now, let's take a look at how this is used in Java:

Encapsulation in Java

In Java, encapsulation is implemented using access modifiers and getter/setter methods.

public class Television {
   private int channel; // Encapsulation with the private access modifier
   private int volumeLevel;
   // Getter methods
   public int getChannel() {
       return channel;
   }
   public int getVolumeLevel() {
       return volumeLevel;
   }
   // Setter methods
   public void setChannel(int newChannel) {
       if (newChannel > 0 && newChannel < 100) { // Validity check
           channel = newChannel;
       }
   }
   public void setVolumeLevel(int newVolumeLevel) {
       if (newVolumeLevel > 0 && newVolumeLevel < 20) { // Validity check
           volumeLevel = newVolumeLevel;
       }
   }
}

In the example above, the Television class has the channel and volumeLevel attributes marked as private. Direct access to these attributes is not possible. However, we can access and modify these attributes in a controlled manner through public methods such as getChannel(), getVolumeLevel(), setChannel(), and setVolumeLevel().

Advantages of Encapsulation in Java

• Data Hiding: Encapsulation protects data integrity by hiding the internal structure of the object.
• Ease of Maintenance: When we change the internal structure of the object, we only need to update the relevant class.
• Flexibility: We can update the behavior of the object by modifying the getter/setter methods.

Encapsulation is one of the fundamental principles of object-oriented programming in Java. By using encapsulation, we can write more secure, maintainable, and flexible code. In the next article, we will continue exploring other important OOP concepts. Feel free to share your questions or thoughts in the comments section.

Happy Coding!