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property or method?

I don't understand when the property should be used in a class. For example, if a class has a variable
Dim MyValue as integer
public property get GetValue()
GetMyValue = MyValue
end if

However, in this situation, a method declared in the class also can achieve the purpose

public function GetValue() as integer
GetValue = MyValue
end if

Also, for example, a class and 2 variable
Dim X as integer
DIm Y as integer
Public property Get Sum()
sum = X + Y
end if

The property return the sum of 2 valuable. Similar declaring a method also can achive that.

Is it a common practice that property should be used in a class or in a user define control in getting or assign class's variables? Also, in which condition that property should be used instead of the method? What's the actually different between them in the above examples.

Thanks in advance

NickH

The basic reason for using either properties or methods to return class variables is to protect the class variable from external program trampling...conflicting variable names occur more frequently than we might wish or design. That said, you are right in assessing the fact that a method can be made to act like a property...in fact, a property is essentially three built in methods, let, get, and set. THe advantage to using a property is this: in the program outside the class, you can assign or retrieve a property by saying

myclass.myproperty = 23

or

a = myclass.myproperty

whereas a method would be called as:

myclass.set_value 23

or

myclass.get_value

The method example works, but he property approach looks and feels more like true assigment, with the equal sign. Inside the class however, the property manipulations act like methods, and you can do any sort of manipulation or value checking you desire inside the Let and Get properties. The Set proerty is the same, used for Object variables in side the class. It is pretty much customary to use proerties for class variables, as this aids programmers that might come after you in understanding your code.

Hope this helps.

Torus

ASKER

Thanks for your answer.
But I still have a question.
As you said , "Let" function may be take the advantage since it needn't pass any arguments. However, I can use function to replace the "GET"

a = myclass.myproperty
Public function myproperty() as integer
myproperty = myvalue
end function

MyProperty can be the function since it also returns the value as the GET does.
For standardisation, maybe it is much good to use GET and LET in pair to get or assign
class's variables.

But what make me dilemma is that if I do some calculations between the class variables and then return the result(As I said in the second examples), property or function should be better used since function also can achieve what property does in same syntax?

a = Myclass.Sum
Public function Sum() as integer
a = MyClassValueX + MyClassValueY
end function

In this situation, what I should decide to use or doesn't matter?
Thanks again

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caraf_g

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Torus

ASKER

Thank you.