Question

What are public methods? What are private methods?

Short answer

Answer: Public and private methods are related to the concept of access modifiers in object-oriented programming languages. Public methods are functions within a class that can be accessed and called from any object or class in the entire program, providing an interface for other objects and classes to interact with the class containing the public method. They are marked with the `public` keyword in the declaration and should be used when you want to define functionalities accessible to all objects and classes in the code. Private methods, on the other hand, are functions within a class that can only be accessed and called within that specific class, serving as helper functions for internal use. They are marked with the `private` keyword in the declaration and should be used when you want to define functionalities solely for internal use within a class, without exposing them to other parts of the program. This approach helps in keeping the implementation details hidden, making the code easier to maintain and understand.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of public methods

A public method is a function within a class that can be accessed and called from any object or class in the entire program. It is designed to provide an interface for other objects and classes to interact with the class containing the public method. It is marked with the `public` keyword in the declaration.

When to use public methods

Public methods should be used when you want to define functionalities that are accessible to all objects and classes in your code. They provide the standard way of communication between different objects so that they can work together as a system.

Definition of private methods

A private method, on the other hand, is a function within a class that can only be accessed and called within that specific class. It is designed to be a helper function for internal use, hidden from any external objects or code. It is marked with the `private` keyword in the declaration.

When to use private methods

Private methods are used when you want to define functionalities that are solely for internal use within a class, without exposing them to the other parts of the program. They help in keeping the implementation details hidden, making code easier to maintain and understand.