The practice of bundling data and the methods that operate on that data together within a single unit, while hiding internal implementation details from outside access. It's like putting related things in a protective capsule with controlled access points.
From Latin 'capsula' meaning small box or container, with the prefix 'en-' meaning to put into. The computing term emerged in the 1970s with object-oriented programming, describing how data and functions could be 'encapsulated' together like medicine in a pill capsule.
Your smartphone is perfectly encapsulated - you can make calls, send texts, and take photos without knowing anything about radio frequencies, network protocols, or camera sensors. The complex internals are hidden, and you only interact through simple buttons and screens!
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