Difference between Abstraction and Encapsulation in Object-Oriented Programming

In object-oriented programming, abstraction and encapsulation are two important concepts that help in structuring and organizing code. While both serve different purposes, they are often confused with each other. Here's a breakdown of the differences between abstraction and encapsulation:

Abstraction:

Abstraction is the process of hiding complex implementation details and showing only the essential features of an object. It focuses on what an object does rather than how it does it. In other words, abstraction allows you to create a simplified model of a real-world object by defining only the necessary attributes and methods.

Encapsulation:

Encapsulation, on the other hand, is the bundling of data (attributes) and methods (functions) that operate on the data into a single unit or class. It provides data protection by restricting access to certain components of an object and exposing only the necessary interfaces for interacting with it. Encapsulation helps in achieving data hiding and modularity in code.

In summary, abstraction focuses on defining the essential characteristics of an object, while encapsulation focuses on bundling data and methods together to protect the object's internal state.