What are the differences between access modifiers in programming?

What are the differences between access modifiers in programming?

Access modifiers are keywords used to set the accessibility of classes, methods, and other members. The main types are public, private, and protected.

Can you explain what each of these access modifiers does?

Sure! Public members are accessible from anywhere, private members are only accessible within the same class, and protected members can be accessed within the same class and by derived classes.

Why would I use private or protected instead of public?

Using private or protected helps encapsulate your code, protecting it from unintended interference and maintaining control over how it's accessed.

Are there any other access modifiers I should know about?

Yes, some languages have additional modifiers like internal in C# or package-private in Java, which control access within specific scopes.