Can you explain the concept of encapsulation in object-oriented programming?

Encapsulation is a principle of object-oriented programming that involves combining data (variables) and methods that operate on this data within a single object (class). The implementation details are hidden from the outside world, and access to the data is provided through public methods.

This allows:

• Protecting the internal state of an object from incorrect usage.
• Changing the internal implementation without affecting the code that uses the object.

Example in Python:

class BankAccount:
    def __init__(self, balance):
        self.__balance = balance  # private attribute

    def deposit(self, amount):
        if amount > 0:
            self.__balance += amount

    def withdraw(self, amount):
        if 0 < amount <= self.__balance:
            self.__balance -= amount

    def get_balance(self):
        return self.__balance

account = BankAccount(100)
account.deposit(50)
print(account.get_balance())  # 150
# account.__balance  # Error, access is forbidden

Here, the attribute __balance is hidden from direct access, and interaction with it occurs through class methods.