In object-oriented programming, what does encapsulation primarily refer to?

Encapsulation primarily refers to the practice of restricting access to certain components of an object and bundling the object's data (attributes) and methods (functions) into a single unit. This concept is fundamental in object-oriented programming as it helps protect the integrity of the object's data by preventing unauthorized access and manipulation from outside the object. By controlling access to an object's internals and exposing only certain parts through public methods, encapsulation aids in establishing a clear interface and promotes modularity, making the code easier to maintain and understand.

In encapsulation, private or protected access modifiers are commonly used to define which parts of the class can be accessed directly and which parts must be accessed through public methods, often referred to as getter and setter methods. This ensures that an object's state remains consistent and valid throughout its lifecycle.

The other options, while related to object-oriented programming, address different concepts. The ability to create new classes refers to inheritance and class hierarchy, sharing code pertains to inheritance or aggregation, and overriding methods involves polymorphism and method overriding in subclassing. These elements are key aspects of object-oriented programming but do not define encapsulation itself.