Hello! In this lesson, we're revisiting Encapsulation, Private Attributes, and Private Methods in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). Imagine encapsulation as an invisible fence safeguarding a garden from outside interference, keeping data and methods safe within. Within this garden, certain plants (Private Attributes and Methods) are only for the gardener's eyes. These are crucial for making your classes more robust and secure!
Encapsulation in OOP wraps up data and methods into a class
. This organizational approach tidies the code and reinforces security. If you were to code a multiplayer game, for example, you could create a Player
class, encapsulating data (health
, armor
, stamina
) and methods (receive_damage
, shield_hit
, restore_health
).
Now, player
is an instance of the Player
class on which you can call methods.
Private Attributes, which can only be altered via class methods, limit outside interference. For instance, a BankAccount
class might feature a balance
private attribute that one could change only through deposits or withdrawals.
Here, __balance
is private, thus ensuring the integrity of the account balance.
Like private attributes, private methods are accessible only within their class. Here's an example:
Here, add_yearly_interest
is a public method that calls the private method __add_interest
.
In Python, a double underscore __
before the attribute or method name designates it as private.
Private attributes and methods are inaccessible directly from an instance. This arrangement helps maintain integrity.
Great job refreshing your understanding of encapsulation, private attributes, and private methods concepts in Python! Correctly understanding and applying these foundational principles of OOP make your code concise, robust, and secure.
Coming up next is hands-on practice. Keep up the good work – exciting exercises are just around the corner!
