ActionScript 3 Object Oriented Programming set & get functions
Example
To ensure encapsulation, member variables of a class should be private and only be accessible to public via public get/set access methods. It is a common practice to prefix private fields with _
public class Person
{
private var _name:String = "";
public function get name():String{
return _name;
//or return some other value depending on the inner logic of the class
}
public function set name(value:String):void{
//here you may check if the new value is valid
//or maybe dispatch some update events or whatever else
_name = value;
}
Sometimes you don't even need to create a private field for a get/set pair.
For example in a control like a custom radio group you need to know which radio button is selected, however outside the class you need just a way to get/set only the selected value:
public function get selectedValue():String {
//just the data from the element
return _selected ? _selected.data : null;
}
public function set selectedValue(value:String):void {
//find the element with that data
for (var i:int = 0; i < _elems.length; i++) {
if (_elems[i].data == value) {
_selected = _elems[i];//set it
processRadio();//redraw
return;
}
}
}
