Keyword Property
Declares method as property.
Syntax
Method Identifier: ReturnType ( Parameters ) [ Property ] [ Abstract ] [ Final ]
Statements...
End [ Method ]
Description
The Property keyword declares that a method is acting as a class property. Properties are generally used to access a single (usually private) field in a controlled fashion.
Unlike a standard method, a property acts as a proxy for a field, and so can be written to (and read from) using the same syntax as for a field or variable. For example, reading a property:
result = myobject.MyPropertyNote that because it's acting like a field, no method-call brackets are required.
Writing to a property:
myobject.MyProperty = valueProperties are usually declared in pairs with the same name:
- a 'read' version with no parameters which reads a specific field, and;
- a 'write' version with a single parameter which writes to the same field.
(In the second example above, the value being assigned is the parameter defined in the 'write' property.)
Properties with multiple parameters cannot use this shortened syntax and must be called in the same way as a standard method.
See also
Method | Abstract | Final
Language reference (Methods)
Examples
' Runnable example...Class BankAccount Private Field balance:Int Public Method Balance (dollars:Int) Property If dollars > 1000000 Print "Sent for security check!" Else balance = dollars Endif End Method Balance:String () Property Return "$" + balance EndEndFunction Main () Local account:BankAccount = New BankAccount account.Balance = 50 ' 00000 ' Join to trigger security check! Print account.BalanceEnd