Encapsulation in C++

C++ is based on object-oriented programming concepts. Encapsulation is one of the important features of Object Oriented Programming. Encapsulation is defined as the process of combining data members and functions in a single unit.

Features of Encapsulation

• In encapsulation, member variables of a class cannot be accessed from another class directly. Those member variables should only be accessible via functions.
• In encapsulation, the functions which we create must only use member variables.
• It increases the security of data.

Why Encapsulation?

• Encapsulation helps to keep the related data and functions together, which makes our code cleaner and easy to read.
• Encapsulation protects data from unauthorized access.
• Encapsulation helps to control the modification of class data members.
• Encapsulation helps to hide the data of class members from direct access by other classes by making the data private.

How to use Encapsulation in C++?

• First make all the data members of a class private.
• Then create public setter and getter functions for each data member in such a way that the set function sets the value of the data member and the get function gets the value of the data member.

Example

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Employee
{
private:
    // data hidden from outside world
    double salary;

public:
    // public function to set value
    void setSalary(double fulltime, double overtime)
    {
        salary = fulltime + overtime;
    }
    // public function to return value
    int getSalary()
    {
        return salary;
    }
};
int main()
{
    Employee employeeObj;
    employeeObj.setSalary(4500, 510.55);
    std::cout << "Employee salary is $";

    cout << employeeObj.getSalary();
    return 0;
}

Output