Setters and Getters - Classwide or Dispatching?

Setters and Getters - Classwide or Dispatching?

[Anthony E. Glover]

What is the best approach for declaring setters and getters for a class -
classwide or primitive subprograms. Classwide would seem to be the best
approach since in all likelihood no one would override the getting or
setting of an attribute; however, this means that the operation is not
inherited by subclasses and requires an additional 'with' and possible 'use'
of the base class in order for the operation to be visible. Any suggestions?

Also, is there any way to call a dispatching subprogram without adding withs
and uses for all of the packages containing the subclasses. I'm refering to
a call that is not part of the parent.child hiearchy.

Thanks,
Tony

Re: Setters and Getters - Classwide or Dispatching?

[Ted Dennison]

In article <I3k17.11641$F%5.755714@e420r-atl2.usenetserver.com>, Anthony E.
Glover says...
>
>What is the best approach for declaring setters and getters for a class -
>classwide or primitive subprograms. Classwide would seem to be the best
>approach since in all likelihood no one would override the getting or
>setting of an attribute; however, this means that the operation is not
>inherited by subclasses

It means it isn't overridable with a dispatching subprogram. You can still use
it for any subclass.

> and requires an additional 'with' and possible 'use'
>of the base class in order for the operation to be visible. Any suggestions?

One common approach is to put "child" classes in child packages. That way the
"with" and "use" are implicit.

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