# 
## Encapsulation

**Encapsulation** is used to hide or protect sensitive data or information from all users. In order to encapsulate the data, we must declare variables/attributes of a class as private so that they can’t be accessed from outside the class. Now, if we want to read or change the values of private members outside the class, we’ll have to use the public `get` and `set` methods.



The **`get` method** is used to return the data/value. It is also known as an accessor method.

The **`set` method** is used to set or update the value/data. It is also known as a mutator method.


Following are the benefits of using getters and setters.

- Code readability: The code is very easy to read and understand. It is also easy to look for errors in the code.

- Data protection: The data is protected as we cannot directly access the private members/attributes of a class.


## Example     

Following is the basic C++ code to demonstrate the use of getters and setters: 

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Student 
{
  private:
    // Private attribute
    int rollNo;
  public:
    // Setter
    void setRollNo(int id) 
    {
      rollNo = id;
    }
    // Getter
    int getRollNo() 
    {
      return rollNo;
    }
};
int main() 
{
  Student obj;
  obj.setRollNo(123);
  cout << obj.getRollNo();
  return 0;
}

## Explanation

In this example, we have a `Student` class with a private member variable `rollNo` in line 8. Since we cannot directly access `rollNo` outside the `Student` class, the public functions `setRollNo` and `getRollNo()` are used.


Why do we use getters and setters?

Encapsulation enhances data protection by using private variables accessed through public getters and setters, ensuring code readability and maintainability.