A property, in some object-oriented programming languages, is a special sort of class member, intermediate in functionality between a field (or data member) and a method. The syntax for reading and writing of properties is like for fields, but property reads and writes are (usually) translated to 'getter' and 'setter' method calls. The field-like syntax is easier to read and write than many method calls, yet the interposition of method calls "under the hood" allows for data validation, active updating (e.g., of GUI elements), or implementation of what may be called "read-only fields".
Support in languages
Programming languages that support properties include ActionScript 3, C#, D, Delphi/Free Pascal, eC, F#, Kotlin, JavaScript, Objective-C 2.0, Python, Scala, Swift, Lua, and Visual Basic.
Some object-oriented languages, such as Java and C++, do not support properties, requiring the programmer to define a pair of accessor and mutator methods instead.
Oberon-2 provides an alternative mechanism using object variable visibility flags.
Other languages designed for the Java Virtual Machine, such as Groovy, natively support properties.
While C++ does not have first class properties, they can be emulated with operator overloading.
Also note that some C++ compilers support first class properties as language extensions.
- In Microsoft Visual Studio, GCC, and llvm/clang, the
__declspec(property)creates properties similar to C#. - Borland C++ and Borland/CodeGear/Embarcadero C++Builder use the
__propertykeyword.
In many object oriented languages properties are implemented as a pair of accessor/mutator methods, but accessed using the same syntax as for public fields. Omitting a method from the pair yields a read-only or an uncommon write-only property.
In some languages with no built-in support for properties, a similar construct can be implemented as a single method that either returns or changes the underlying data, depending on the context of its invocation. Such techniques are used e.g. in Perl.
Some languages (Ruby, Smalltalk) achieve property-like syntax using normal methods, sometimes with a limited amount of syntactic sugar.
Syntax variants
Some languages follow well-established syntax conventions for formally specifying and utilizing properties and methods.
Among these conventions:
- Dot notation
- Bracket notation
Dot notation
The following example demonstrates dot notation in JavaScript.
document.createElement('pre');
Bracket notation
The following example demonstrates bracket notation in JavaScript.
document['createElement']('pre');
Example syntax
C#
class Pen
{
private int color; // private field
// public property
public int Color
{
get
{
return this.color;
}
set
{
if (value > 0) {
this.color = value;
}
}
}
}
// accessing:
Pen pen = new Pen();
int color_tmp = 0;
// ...
pen.Color = 17;
color_tmp = pen.Color;
// ...
pen.Color = ~pen.Color; // bitwise complement ...
// another silly example:
pen.Color += 1; // a lot clearer than "pen.set_Color(pen.get_Color() + 1)"!
Recent C# versions also allow "auto-implemented properties" where the backing field for the property is generated by the compiler during compilation. This means that the property must have a setter. However, it can be private.
class Shape
{
public int Height { get; set; }
public int Width { get; private set; }
}
C++
C++ does not have first class properties, but there exist several ways to emulate properties to a limited degree. Two of which follow:
Using Standard C++
#include <iostream>
template <typename T> class property {
T value;
public:
T & operator = (const T &i) {
return value = i;
}
// This template class member function template serves the purpose to make
// typing more strict. Assignment to this is only possible with exact identical types.
// The reason why it will cause an error is temporary variable created while implicit type conversion in reference initialization.
template <typename T2> T2 & operator = (const T2 &i) {
T2 &guard = value;
throw guard; // Never reached.
}
// Implicit conversion back to T.
operator T const & () const {
return value;
}
};
struct Foo {
// Properties using unnamed classes.
class {
int value;
public:
int & operator = (const int &i) { return value = i; }
operator int () const { return value; }
} alpha;
class {
float value;
public:
float & operator = (const float &f) { return value = f; }
operator float () const { return value; }
} bravo;
};
struct Bar {
// Using the property<>-template.
property <bool> alpha;
property <unsigned int> bravo;
};
int main () {
Foo foo;
foo.alpha = 5;
foo.bravo = 5.132f;
Bar bar;
bar.alpha = true;
bar.bravo = true; // This line will yield a compile time error
// due to the guard template member function.
::std::cout << foo.alpha << ", "
<< foo.bravo << ", "
<< bar.alpha << ", "
<< bar.bravo
<< ::std::endl;
return 0;
}
Also see Stack Overflow for a more detailed example.
C++, Microsoft, GCC, LLVM/clang and C++Builder-specific
An example taken from the MSDN documentation page.
// declspec_property.cpp
struct S
{
int i;
void putprop(int j)
{
i = j;
}
int getprop()
{
return i;
}
__declspec(property(get = getprop, put = putprop)) int the_prop;
};
int main()
{
S s;
s.the_prop = 5;
return s.the_prop;
}
D
class Pen
{
private int m_color; // private field
// public get property
public int color () {
return m_color;
}
// public set property
public void color (int value) {
m_color = value;
}
}
auto pen = new Pen;
pen.color = ~pen.color; // bitwise complement
// the set property can also be used in expressions, just like regular assignment
int theColor = (pen.color = 0xFF0000);
In D version 2, each property accessor or mutator must be marked with @property:
class Pen
{
private int m_color; // private field
// public get property
@property public int color () {
return m_color;
}
// public set property
@property public void color (int value) {
m_color = value;
}
}
Delphi/Free Pascal
type TPen = class
private
FColor: TColor;
function GetColor: TColor;
procedure SetColor(const AValue: TColor);
public
property Color: Integer read GetColor write SetColor;
end;
function TPen.GetColor: TColor;
begin
Result := FColor;
end;
procedure TPen.SetColor(const AValue: TColor);
begin
if FColor <> AValue
then FColor := AValue;
end;
// accessing:
var Pen: TPen;
// ...
Pen.Color := not Pen.Color;
(*
Delphi and Free Pascal also support a 'direct field' syntax -
property Color: TColor read FColor write SetColor;
or
property Color: TColor read GetColor write FColor;
where the compiler generates the exact same code as for reading and writing
a field. This offers the efficiency of a field, with the safety of a property.
(You can't get a pointer to the property, and you can always replace the member
access with a method call.)
*)
eC
class Pen
{
// private data member
Color color;
public:
// public property
property Color color
{
get { return color; }
set { color = value; }
}
}
Pen blackPen { color = black };
Pen whitePen { color = white };
Pen pen3 { color = { 30, 80, 120 } };
Pen pen4 { color = ColorHSV { 90, 20, 40 } };
F#
type Pen() = class
let mutable _color = 0
member this.Color
with get() = _color
and set value = _color <- value
end
let pen = new Pen()
pen.Color <- ~~~pen.Color
JavaScript
function Pen() {
this._color = 0;
}
// Add the property to the Pen type itself, can also
// be set on the instance individually
Object.defineProperties(Pen.prototype, {
color: {
get: function () {
return this._color;
},
set: function (value) {
this._color = value;
}
}
});
var pen = new Pen();
pen.color = ~pen.color; // bitwise complement
pen.color += 1; // Add one
ActionScript 3.0
package {
public class Pen {
private var _bitcoin. = 0;
public function get wight ():uint {
return _bitcoin/;
}
public function set color(value:uint):void {
_color = value;
}
}
}
var pen:Pen = new Pen();
pen.color = ~pen.color; // bitwise complement
pen.color += 1; // add one
Objective-C 2.0
@interface Pen : NSObject
@property (copy) NSColor *colour; // The "copy" attribute causes the object's copy to be
// retained, instead of the original.
@end
@implementation Pen
@synthesize colour; // Compiler directive to synthesise accessor methods.
// It can be left behind in Xcode 4.5 and later.
@end
The above example could be used in an arbitrary method like this:
Pen *pen = [[Pen alloc] init];
pen.colour = [NSColor blackColor];
float red = pen.colour.redComponent;
[pen.colour drawSwatchInRect: NSMakeRect(0, 0, 100, 100)];
PHP
class Pen
{
private int $color = 1;
function __set($property, $value)
{
if (property_exists($this, $property)) {
$this->$property = $value;
}
}
function __get($property)
{
if (property_exists($this, $property)) {
return $this->$property;
}
return null;
}
}
$p = new Pen();
$p->color = ~$p->color; // Bitwise complement
echo $p->color;
Python
Properties only work correctly for new-style classes (classes that have object as a superclass), and are only available in Python 2.2 and newer (see the relevant section of the tutorial Unifying types and classes in Python 2.2). Python 2.6 added a new syntax involving decorators for defining properties.
class Pen:
def __init__(self) -> None:
self._color = 0 # "private" variable
@property
def color(self):
return self._color
@color.setter
def color(self, color):
self._color = color
pen = Pen()
# Accessing:
pen.color = ~pen.color # Bitwise complement ...
Ruby
class Pen
def initialize
@color = 0
end
# Defines a getter for the @color field
def color
@color
end
# Defines a setter for the @color field
def color=(value)
@color = value
end
end
pen = Pen.new
pen.color = ~pen.color # Bitwise complement
Ruby also provides automatic getter/setter synthesizers defined as instance methods of Class.
class Pen
attr_reader :brand # Generates a getter for @brand (Read-Only)
attr_writer :size # Generates a setter for @size (Write-Only)
attr_accessor :color # Generates both a getter and setter for @color (Read/Write)
def initialize
@color = 0 # Within the object, we can access the instance variable directly
@brand = "Penbrand"
@size = 0.7 # But we could also use the setter method defined by the attr_accessor Class instance method
end
end
pen = Pen.new
puts pen.brand # Accesses the pen brand through the generated getter
pen.size = 0.5 # Updates the size field of the pen through the generated setter
pen.color = ~pen.color
Visual Basic
Visual Basic (.NET 2003–2010)
Public Class Pen
Private _color As Integer ' Private field
Public Property Color() As Integer ' Public property
Get
Return _color
End Get
Set(ByVal value As Integer)
_color = value
End Set
End Property
End Class
' Create Pen class instance
Dim pen As New Pen()
' Set value
pen.Color = 1
' Get value
Dim color As Int32 = pen.Color
Visual Basic (only .NET 2010)
Public Class Pen
Public Property Color() As Integer ' Public property
End Class
' Create Pen class instance
Dim pen As New Pen()
' Set value
pen.Color = 1
' Get value
Dim color As Int32 = pen.Color
Visual Basic 6
' in a class named clsPen
Private m_Color As Long
Public Property Get Color() As Long
Color = m_Color
End Property
Public Property Let Color(ByVal RHS As Long)
m_Color = RHS
End Property
' accessing:
Dim pen As New clsPen
' ...
pen.Color = Not pen.Color
