What does encapsulation in OOP refer to?

Encapsulation in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) refers to the practice of bundling the data (attributes) and the methods (functions) that operate on the data into a single unit, typically a class, and restricting access to the inner workings of that class. This is primarily achieved by using access modifiers like private, protected, and public. By controlling access to the internal state of an object, encapsulation helps maintain the integrity of the object's data, ensures a clear interface for interacting with the object, and promotes modularity.

This means that if internal representations change, the external interface remains the same, allowing developers to update and maintain the code more easily without affecting other parts of the system. Thus, encapsulation is a fundamental concept that encourages a clear separation between how an object's data is represented and how it's used.