What are the best practices for using access modifiers in programming?

What are the best practices for using access modifiers in programming?

Access modifiers control the visibility of class members. Best practices include using 'private' for internal use, 'protected' for inheritance, and 'public' for external access.

Can you explain why it's important to use 'private' access modifiers?

Using 'private' helps encapsulate data, preventing unintended interference and maintaining the integrity of the object's state.

What about 'protected'? When should I use it?

'Protected' is useful when you want to allow subclasses to access certain members while keeping them hidden from the outside world.

Are there any exceptions to these rules?

Yes, in some cases, you might use 'public' for constants or utility methods that need to be accessible globally.

How do access modifiers affect code maintainability?

Proper use of access modifiers enhances maintainability by reducing dependencies and making the code easier to understand and modify.