What is the difference between a private method and a public method in Python?
Benjamin C

In Python, the concepts of private and public methods are related to the visibility and accessibility of methods within a class. Although Python does not enforce strict access modifiers like some other programming languages, there are conventions and naming conventions that help indicate the intended visibility of methods. 1. Public Method: A public method in Python is intended to be accessed and used by other parts of the program. It is meant to be part of the public interface of a class, providing functionality that is expected to be utilized externally. Here's an example of a public method in Python:

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class MyClass:
    def public_method(self):
   # Perform some operations
   pass

# Usage:
my_object = MyClass()
my_object.public_method()  # Accessing a public method

In the above code,public_method() is defined without any special syntax or naming convention. It is accessible outside the class and can be invoked on an instance of the class. 2. Private Method: A private method in Python is intended to be used only within the class that defines it. It is not intended to be accessed or invoked directly from outside the class. While Python does not enforce strict privacy, there is a naming convention that indicates that a method is intended to be private. Here's an example of a private method in Python:

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class MyClass:
    def __private_method(self):
   # Perform some operations
   pass

# Usage:
my_object = MyClass()
my_object.__private_method()  # Accessing a private method (not recommended)

In the above code,__private_method() is defined with a double underscore prefix. This naming convention indicates that the method is intended to be private and should not be accessed directly from outside the class. However, it is worth noting that Python does not enforce true privacy, and the method can still be accessed using name mangling (as shown in the example). Nonetheless, it is generally considered best practice to treat methods with a double underscore prefix as private and not access them directly from outside the class. To summarize, the key differences between a private method and a public method in Python are: - Public methods are intended to be part of the public interface of a class and can be accessed and invoked from outside the class. - Private methods are intended to be used only within the class that defines them and are not meant to be accessed or invoked directly from outside the class. - Public methods are typically defined without any special syntax or naming convention. - Private methods are typically named with a double underscore prefix (__), indicating their intended privacy, but the naming convention is a convention rather than a strict enforcement. While Python does not enforce strict privacy, adhering to the naming conventions helps communicate the intended visibility of methods and promotes encapsulation and code organization within a class.

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