Python Programming

In this chapter, we will discuss the remaining ‘pillar’ of OOP known as encapsulation.

In our discussions so far, we have been assuming that all attributes of a class instance can be directly accessed and modified by any other object.

But should our objects really expose everything, including their internal states, for the whole world to see and manipulate?

As an example, let’s look at our RPG Hero class from our core lessons. If you recall, a Hero has a health attribute and an attack attribute. Anybody can directly change their values. So we can have our EvilBoss below directly setting our hero’s health and attack to zero. So EvilBoss is basically just asking the character to drop dead without even fighting, and your Hero is obliged to do so since it has given everyone direct access to those attributes.

class EvilBoss:
    def destroy(self, hero):
        hero.health = 0
        hero.attack = 0