The terms get/set must be used where an attribute is accessed directly. What if references are returned?

ethz-asl / programming_guidelines

This repository contains style-guides, discussions, eclipse/emacs auto-formatter for commonly used programming languages

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The terms get/set must be used where an attribute is accessed directly. What if references are returned? #5

Closed simonlynen closed 11 years ago

simonlynen commented 11 years ago

Should this be called differently, something along these lines?

getRef() ref()

stephanemagnenat commented 11 years ago

As with the underscore, I am worried about over-verbose style. There are some cases when a getter would better use a different naming, such as isEmpty() instead of getEmptyStatus().

furgalep commented 11 years ago

Google uses something like getVariableMutable(), which is more of a language-independent way to say it. I'm not against verbosity in general (this is probably obvious to everyone). I haven't been using get/set religiously up to this point but I wouldn't mind starting now.

I do agree, however, that it is nicer to have meaningful names for things. I would advocate isEmpty() over getEmptyStatus().

Now that I'm thinking, getVariableMutable() is nice because it is really clear what is happening.

Can anyone convince me otherwise?

HannesSommer commented 11 years ago

"is", "has", .. should be legitimate (if not required prefixes) for boolean getters. Is seems to me quite common and handy (except for reflections over getters :). but - in that case - luckily there is non for c++)
The Mutable postfix seems to me a good idea. But I would rather like a shorter version and something third to getters and setters: getXXXMutable reads like a special case of a getter, which of course they are. But in my opinion they are equally a special case of a setter. So they require a neutral word. But as I'm not a English native I don't feel able to find the right verb. In my "private language" I usually call them "accessors" (because they give read and write access) and sometimes write accessXXX. What do you guys think of that prefix / verb? Can you think of a better one?

simonlynen commented 11 years ago

@furgalep Paul can you think of a proper english term for the reference getters?

furgalep commented 11 years ago

I just looked up the synonyms for mutable and nothing is jumping out at me.

How about

getVariableRef()

it is better than getVariableMut()

simonlynen commented 11 years ago

Good lets go for: getVariableRef()