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Aryan Kumar

Aryan Kumar

09-Oct-2023

In JavaScript, encapsulation can be achieved through a combination of closures and object-oriented programming techniques. Encapsulation is the concept of bundling the data (attributes) and the methods (functions) that operate on the data into a single unit, which is an object. It also involves controlling access to the internal state of an object to ensure data integrity. Here's how you can achieve encapsulation in JavaScript:

Private Properties and Methods:

  • JavaScript doesn't have native support for access control keywords like private, public, or protected as some other languages do. However, you can emulate private properties and methods using closures.
  • Define variables or functions within the constructor or a factory function, and they will be accessible only within that scope.
function Person(name) {
  let _name = name; // Private variable

  function _getFullName() { // Private method
    return _name;
  }

  this.sayHello = function() {
    console.log(`Hello, my name is ${_getFullName()}`);
  };
}

const person = new Person("Alice");
console.log(person._name); // undefined (private variable)
person.sayHello(); // Outputs: "Hello, my name is Alice"

Getter and Setter Methods:

  • Use getter and setter methods to access and modify private properties while controlling their access.
  • This allows you to validate and manage the data before it's read or modified.
function BankAccount() {
  let _balance = 0;

  this.getBalance = function() {
    return _balance;
  };

  this.deposit = function(amount) {
    if (amount > 0) {
      _balance += amount;
    } else {
      console.log("Invalid deposit amount.");
    }
  };

  this.withdraw = function(amount) {
    if (amount > 0 && amount <= _balance) {
      _balance -= amount;
    } else {
      console.log("Invalid withdrawal amount or insufficient balance.");
    }
  };
}

const account = new BankAccount();
account.deposit(1000);
console.log(account.getBalance()); // Outputs: 1000
account.withdraw(500);
console.log(account.getBalance()); // Outputs: 500

Use ES6 Classes:

  • With the introduction of ES6 classes, you can achieve encapsulation by defining private properties and methods using the _ convention.
  • While these properties and methods are not truly private, the _ convention signals to other developers that they are intended to be treated as private.
class Rectangle {
  constructor(width, height) {
    this._width = width; // Private property
    this._height = height; // Private property
  }

  area() {
    return this._width * this._height; // Public method
  }
}

const rect = new Rectangle(5, 10);
console.log(rect._width); // 5 (though it's meant to be private)
console.log(rect.area()); // Outputs: 50

Remember that JavaScript does not provide strict access control like some other languages, so encapsulation in JavaScript relies on conventions and the use of closures and getter/setter methods to create private and controlled access to properties and methods.

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