What are access specifiers in C++ and can you give real-world examples?

What are access specifiers in C++ and can you give real-world examples?

Access specifiers in C++ control the visibility of class members. The three main types are public, private, and protected.

Can you provide a real-world example of each access specifier?

Sure! For public, think of a class Car where methods like startEngine() are accessible. For private, consider a class BankAccount where the balance is private to prevent unauthorized access. For protected, a class Employee might have a protected method calculateSalary() that can be accessed by derived classes.

How do these access specifiers affect code security?

They enhance security by encapsulating data. Private members prevent external access, while protected members allow controlled access in derived classes.

Are there any best practices for using access specifiers?

Yes, it's best to keep members private by default and only expose what is necessary through public methods. This promotes encapsulation.