What is Encapsulation as used in VB.NET?

Encapsulation in VB.NET is a concept that involves bundling data (variables) and methods (functions or procedures) that operate on that data into a single unit, known as a class. This helps in hiding the internal implementation details of a class from the outside world and only exposing the necessary functionality through public methods. Encapsulation also helps in maintaining the integrity of the data by preventing direct access to it from outside the class. This concept is one of the key principles of object-oriented programming and helps in achieving better code organization, reusability, and maintainability.