Abstraction and encapsulation are core object-oriented programming concepts, but they serve different purposes:

  1. Abstraction:

    • Focuses on hiding complexity by showing only the essential details.

    • Achieved using abstract classes and interfaces.

    • Example: A car’s steering hides the internal mechanisms like the engine or gears.

  2. Encapsulation:

    • Focuses on hiding data by restricting direct access to it.

    • Achieved using private fields and providing access through getters/setters.

    • Example: A car’s speed is controlled by the accelerator, not directly accessed.

In short:

Abstraction: Hides implementation details.

Encapsulation: Hides data and enforces control.