Question

Possible Duplicate:
Why use getters and setters?

I’m reading the Java for Dummies 2nd edition, and it says that it’s better to define accessor methods for class’s variables instead of making them public. Is that true?

Answer 1

Yes.

Defining accessor methods allows you greater flexibility. For instance, you can make it publicly readable, but only privately writable.

Here’s a Skeet answer to this particular question. He suggests always making your fields private