Can you explain what encapsulation means in object-oriented programming?

Encapsulation in object-oriented programming is a principle that allows hiding the internal implementation details of an object and providing access to data and methods only through a defined interface. This helps protect the object's state from incorrect usage and makes code maintenance easier.

In C#, encapsulation is achieved using access modifiers (private, protected, public) and properties. For example:

class Person
{
    private string name; // hidden field

    public string Name  // public property for access
    {
        get { return name; }
        set { name = value; }
    }
}

Here, the name field is not directly accessible from outside, but through the Name property, you can get or set the value, controlling access to the data.