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Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters

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On 7/26/2011 12:15 PM, Stefan Ram wrote:
> Gene Wirchenko<genew@ocis.net>  writes:
>>> Since I do not know whether your methods
>
>    (insert »according to their contract«, here)
>
>>>                                          set the value of an
>>> instance variable, I do not know, whether they are »setters«
>>> in the sense of my definition. I would need to be able to
>>> read their contract (documentation) to learn about this.
>> Read my example contract above.  It does not mention an instance
>> variable, but any reasonable implementation that I am likely to do
>> would use one.
>
>    Ok, then - to me - it is not a »setter«.
>
>> They set something.  Whether it is an instance variable or not is
>> irrelevant to their use.
>
>    That is even another reason not to make references to instance
>    variables in the contract of a method.
>
>    A »Setter« to me is a method with a contract like:
>
>        »... sets the private field "alpha" to the argument value.«
>
>    Your method does not set a »field« but a »property« of the object.
>    Its contract does not allow a party to deduce with
>    certainity something about the private fields of the object.
>    Therefore, it does not break encapsulation.
>

We have two possible definitions of "setter", with corresponding
definitions for "getter".

1. A method whose contract specifies setting an instance variable.

2. A method whose contract specifies setting a logical property of the
object.

To me, it seems wasteful to use an nice, short, simple term for
something that should *never* exist, when it could equally well be used
for something that is actually useful, so I prefer the second definition.

Patricia

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A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2011-07-22 16:12 -0700
  Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-07-22 19:28 -0400
  Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Andreas Leitgeb <avl@gamma.logic.tuwien.ac.at> - 2011-07-22 23:31 +0000
  Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters markspace <-@.> - 2011-07-22 16:51 -0700
  Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-23 09:02 -0700
    Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters blmblm@myrealbox.com <blmblm.myrealbox@gmail.com> - 2011-07-23 17:41 +0000
      Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-23 11:42 -0700
      Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-07-23 17:59 -0400
        Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Steve Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net> - 2011-07-23 23:39 -0700
          Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters blmblm@myrealbox.com <blmblm.myrealbox@gmail.com> - 2011-07-25 19:44 +0000
          Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-26 09:03 -0700
    Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2011-07-23 19:26 -0400
      Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-26 09:00 -0700
    Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Patrick May <patrick@softwarematters.org> - 2011-07-25 16:27 -0400
      Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters markspace <-@.> - 2011-07-25 15:14 -0700
      Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-25 15:56 -0700
        Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-07-25 17:00 -0700
          Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-07-25 21:17 -0400
      Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters markspace <-@.> - 2011-07-25 16:50 -0700
        Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-07-25 18:30 -0700
          Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-07-25 18:41 -0700
          Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-26 09:05 -0700
          Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-07-26 10:48 -0700
            Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-07-26 11:56 -0700
              Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2011-07-26 13:34 -0700
                Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-26 14:21 -0700
            Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-26 14:20 -0700
        Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-07-25 21:35 -0400
        Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2011-07-26 06:59 -0300
    Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Jukka Lahtinen <jtfjdehf@hotmail.com.invalid> - 2011-07-26 12:19 +0300
      Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-26 09:08 -0700
        Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters Jukka Lahtinen <jtfjdehf@hotmail.com.invalid> - 2011-07-27 15:56 +0300
          Re: A question about some long java code that has getters/setters lewbloch <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2011-07-27 14:14 -0700

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