Definition[]
Encapsulation is
| “ | a way of wrapping an electronic document in a digital envelope that explains, in simple terms, how to re-create the software, hardware or operating systems needed to decode what's inside.[1] | ” |
Overview[]
Because it is often impractical and unnecessary to encapsulate the actual means of access such as software and hardware, encapsulation usually bundles metadata describing or linking to the correct tools. An alternative approach is to include or link to a specification for the software or hardware so that it could be rebuilt in the future if necessary.