What is another term commonly used for black-boxing in software development?

In software development, black-boxing refers to the practice of treating an object or function as a "black box," where the internal workings are hidden from the user. The user interacts with the object based solely on its interface, without needing to understand how the functionality is implemented internally. This concept aligns closely with encapsulation.

Encapsulation involves bundling the data (attributes) and the methods (functions) that operate on that data into a single unit, typically a class in object-oriented programming. It restricts direct access to some of the object's components, which protects the integrity of the data and prevents external interference and misuse. This aligns with black-boxing, as it effectively hides the internal state and behavior from the outside world, allowing users to use an object solely through the defined interface.

While data hiding, abstraction, and inheritance are related concepts in software development, encapsulation encompasses the core idea of black-boxing by providing a clear boundary between the object's internal workings and its external interface.