oop - Explain to me what is a setter and getter

Question

What are setters and getters? Why do I need them? What is a good example of them in use in an effective way? What is the point of a setter and getter?

Update: Can I get some coding examples please?

Answer 1

A getter is a method that gets the value of a property. A setter is a method that sets the value of a property. There is some contention about their efficacy, but the points are generally:

• for completeness of encapsulation

• to maintain a consistent interface in case internal details change

More useful is when you need to add some logic around getting or setting, like validating a value before you write it.