Name: krT82822 Date: 04/11/99


Java does not explicitly support properties currently.

To simulate properties, the Java API uses the
setProperty()/getProperty() methods.

It would be nice if properties were part of the language.

Current state of Java without properties:

class XYZ
{

   // property color
   private Color color;

   public Color getColor()
   { return color; }

   public void setColor(Color newColor)
   { color = newColor; }
}

...

// client code
void mymethod(XYZ obj)
{
   // use component
   Color c;

   // we have to use get/set methods
   c = obj.getColor();
   obj.setColor(Color.red);
}

As you can see using get/set methods is okay. But in my
opinion, it is not very readable.

Let's say Java supported properties. We might then have
a new keyword 'property' to indicate a property.
Here is a proposed solution:

class XYZ
{
   // property color

   // declare a property color of type Color
   public property Color color;

   // define a method for setting the color
   public get property Color color()
   { return color; }

   public set property void color(Color newColor)
   { color = newColor; }

}

The above definition of properties might seem more work at
first. But it is clear in its intent - that color is a
properties. The use of get/set methods is a hack.
Furthermore, using the properties is very readable.

void mymethod(XYZ obj)
{
   // use component
   Color c;

   // Before, after scenarios for properties

   // get the color
   c = obj.getColor(); // before
   c = obj.color; // after

   // assign a new color
   obj.setColor(Color.red); // before
   obj.color = Color.red; // after
}

This feature might not seem much. But I'm sure that if such
a feature existed in Java, properties would be used more than
they are now.
I am of the opinion that properties are part of the
general Java language and not just to be used by JavaBeans.
This syntactic-sugar might make Java more readable.
(Review ID: 56803)
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