What is a getter?

Getters, also known as accessor methods, are functions or methods used in object-oriented programming to retrieve or 'get' the value of an object's private or protected attributes. They provide controlled access to an object's data, allowing you to read values without directly exposing the internal representation. By using getters, you can enforce encapsulation, ensure data integrity, and potentially add logic when retrieving values. Many programming languages, such as Java, Python, and JavaScript, use getters as part of their class structure.