Access Modifiers

Access Modifiers in Python define the visibility and accessibility of class attributes and methods.
Unlike some other languages (like Java or C++), Python relies more on conventions than strict enforcement.

Python provides three main types of access modifiers to manage the visibility of class attributes and methods:

1. Public: Accessible from anywhere (default).
2. Private: Accessible only within the class. Indicated by __.
3. Protected: Meant to be accessed within the class and its subclasses. Indicated by _.

Example: Public Access

class Student:
    def __init__(self, age, name):
        self.age = age  # Public variable
        self.name = name  # Public variable
 
obj = Student(21, "John")
print(obj.age)  # Output: 21
print(obj.name)  # Output: John

Example: Private Access

class Student:
    def __init__(self, age, name):
        self.__age = age  # Private variable
 
obj = Student(21, "John")
# This will raise an error
print(obj.__age)  # AttributeError

Example: Protected Access

class Student:
    def __init__(self):
        self._name = "John"  # Protected variable
 
class Subject(Student):
    pass
 
obj = Student()
print(obj._name)  # Output: John

Best Practices

• Use public attributes for general data.
• Use private attributes (__) for sensitive data you don’t want accessed directly.
• Use protected attributes (_) when you expect subclasses to use them.

👉 Next tutorial: Python Static Methods