Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
An object's state refers to the set of values stored in its instance variables at any given time during program execution. It represents the current condition or snapshot of an object's data.
Instance variables are used to store and represent an object's state. They hold the data that defines the characteristics and properties of an object.
Getter and Setter Methods: Getter methods retrieve the values of instance variables, allowing access to an object's state. Setter methods modify or update the values of instance variables.
Encapsulation is a principle in OOP that combines data (instance variables) and behavior (methods) into a single unit called an object. It ensures that an object's state is accessed and modified through defined methods.