Learn the Importance of Private Access Specifier in C++

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Private Access Specifier in C++
3. Creating a Class with Private Access Specifier
4. Accessing Private Members within a Class
5. Using Public Methods to Access Private Members
6. Demonstration: Displaying and Modifying Private Property
7. Use of Private Access Specifier
8. Creating a Private Method in a Class
9. Accessing Private Method through Public Method
10. Conclusion

Private Access Specifier in C++

C++ is a powerful programming language that allows for different access specifiers to define the accessibility of class members. One such access specifier is the private access specifier. In this tutorial, we will explore the private access specifier in C++ and understand its significance.

Creating a Class with Private Access Specifier

To understand the private access specifier, let's create a class called "human" as an example. In C++, we declare the private access specifier using the keyword "private" followed by a colon. Within the private section, we can declare member variables and methods that are only accessible within the class.

class human {
private:
    int age;
    // other private members
public:
    // public members
};

Accessing Private Members within a Class

Private members, such as variables and methods, are not accessible outside the class. In the example above, the variable "age" can only be accessed from within the "human" class. It is not available in the main function or any other external scope. This ensures encapsulation and data hiding.

Using Public Methods to Access Private Members

To access private members, we can create public methods within the class. These methods can access and manipulate the private members. Let's create a public method called "displayAge" to print the value of the private variable "age".

class human {
private:
    int age;
public:
    void displayAge() {
        std::cout << "Age: " << age << std::endl;
    }
};

Demonstration: Displaying and Modifying Private Property

In the previous example, we used the public method "displayAge" to access the private property "age". Let's extend this functionality by adding a public method called "setAge" to set the value of the private property.

class human {
private:
    int age;
public:
    void setAge(int value) {
        age = value;
    }

    void displayAge() {
        std::cout << "Age: " << age << std::endl;
    }
};

Use of Private Access Specifier

The private access specifier is used to restrict the visibility of certain class members. In the example of the "human" class, we don't want the age to be known or accessed outside the class. By making it private, we enforce the use of public methods like "setAge" and "displayAge" to interact with the age property. This controls the flow of data and ensures data integrity.

Creating a Private Method in a Class

Apart from variables, we can also create private methods within a class. These methods are only accessible within the class and cannot be accessed directly from external scopes. Private methods are often used for internal logic and modularization.

class human {
private:
    int age;

    int getAge() {
        return age - 5;
    }
public:
    void setAge(int value) {
        age = value;
    }

    void displayAge() {
        std::cout << "Age: " << getAge() << std::endl;
    }
};

Accessing Private Method through Public Method

In the updated "human" class, we have added a private method called "getAge" that returns the age property minus 5. We then use this private method within the public method "displayAge" to display the modified age. Again, the private method is only accessible within the class and cannot be accessed directly from external scopes.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned about the private access specifier in C++. We explored how to create a class with private members and how to access them using public methods. We also discussed the use of private properties and methods to hide internal workings and enforce encapsulation. By understanding and utilizing the private access specifier effectively, we can write more secure and organized C++ code.

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