[Tutor] Design - getFoo and setFoo methods

[Lloyd Kvam]

It is easy in python to catch changes to attributes in the __setattr__ method.
This allows you to do any special processing while providing the appearance
of a simple assignment.  So I do not write special setFoo / getFoo methods.

Python 2.2 now supports a new type called property designed to further simplify
get/set processing. (I have not updated my code to adopt this yet.)
http://www.amk.ca/python/2.2/index.html#SECTION000340000000000000000
What's New in Python 2.2

I do use the _name convention to indicate properties that should not be touched
directly from outside the class.

Alexandre Ratti wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> 
> When do you use getFoo() and setFoo() methods in your classes? (I think 
> there can be called "accessors"?).
> 
> The question came up on c.l.py a couple of days ago and most 
> participants said they did not usually use them, eg. they access 
> attributes directly.
> 
> => Do you only use get and set methods when data needs some extra work 
> before it can be stored or returned?
> 
> => If yes, do you use the _ convention in attribute names to remember 
> when attributes can be accessed directly? Eg. self.foo can be read and 
> written directly, but self._foo should not.
> 
> So far I used many set and get methods, but now I wonder whether they 
> really make sense when data is not somehow transformed before 
> storing/returning.
> 
> 
> Thanks again.
> 
> Alexandre
> 
> 
> 
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Lloyd Kvam
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