Information hiding is a principle in OOP that suggests hiding the internal details of an object and exposing only essential information and interfaces to the outside world. It prevents direct access to object data and restricts it to the defined methods.
For example: Consider using a computer. You interact with the user interface, launching applications, creating files, or browsing the internet. The intricate details of how the computer processes those instructions, manages memory, or connects to the network are hidden from you. You don't need to comprehend the complexity of the computer's hardware or software to use it effectively. The computer exposes only necessary interfaces (buttons, touchscreen, menus) to the user while keeping the inner workings hidden.
This can be implemented in Java using the concepts of Encapsulation and Abstraction.
Encapsulation:
Encapsulation is a fundamental concept in OOP that bundles the data (fields) and the methods that manipulate the data into a single unit known as a class. This involves keeping the data and methods together, hiding the internal workings, and providing controlled access to the data through public methods, known as getters and setters in Java. The primary purpose of encapsulation is to protect the integrity of data and prevent it from being accessed or modified directly by external code.
Abstraction:
Data Abstraction refers to representing only the necessary features without including the background details or explanations. In other words, it exposes only the details that are relevant to the user, while the complex details are hidden.
Java access modifiers (public, private, protected, and default) play a critical role in achieving data abstraction. They regulate the visibility and accessibility of class members and offer a means to encapsulate data and obscure implementation specifics.
For example: A bicycle is perceived as a whole entity rather than its individual components like pedals, handlebars, and wheels.
By combining information hiding, encapsulation, and abstraction, object-oriented programming offers a robust and modular approach to software development. It supports code reusability, maintainability, and a more intuitive representation of real-world objects and concepts.
