In C++, access specifiers (public, private, and protected) are used to control the visibility and accessibility of class members (variables and methods) from within and outside the class. Here's the difference between the three access specifiers:
-
Public:
- Public members are accessible from anywhere in the program, including outside the class.
- They can be accessed using the object of the class or through inheritance.
- Public members are typically used for interface or public API of the class, allowing external code to interact with the class.
-
Private:
- Private members are only accessible within the class itself.
- They cannot be accessed or modified directly from outside the class, including objects of the class or derived classes.
- Private members are typically used for internal implementation details, encapsulating data and implementation logic that should not be directly accessed or modified from external code.
-
Protected:
- Protected members are similar to private members in that they are not accessible from outside the class.
- However, protected members are accessible within the class as well as in derived classes (through inheritance).
- Protected members are often used to provide controlled access to derived classes, allowing them to access and modify certain members while still maintaining encapsulation.
In summary, public members are accessible from anywhere, private members are only accessible within the class, and protected members are accessible within the class and in derived classes. These access specifiers help enforce encapsulation and control the visibility and accessibility of class members, providing different levels of access as needed for proper class design and implementation.
Example:
class MyClass {
public:
int publicMember; // Public member
protected:
int protectedMember; // Protected member
private:
int privateMember; // Private member
};
