Method (computer programming): Difference between revisions

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==Accessor, mutator and manager methods==

Accessor methods are used to read the data values of an object. Mutator methods are used to modify the data of an object. Manager methods are used to initialize and destroy objects of a class, e.g. constructors and destructors.

These methods provide an [[abstraction layer]] that facilitates [[Encapsulation (object-oriented programming)|encapsulation]] and [[Modularity (programming)|modularity]]. For example, if a bank-account class provides a <code>getBalance()</code> accessor method to retrieve the current [[Balance (accounting)|balance]] (rather than directly accessing the balance data fields), then later [[revision control|revisions]] of the same code can implement a more complex mechanism for balance retrieval (e.g., a [[database]] fetch), without the dependent code needing to be changed. The concepts of encapsulation and modularity are not unique to object-oriented programming. Indeed, in many ways the object-oriented approach is simply the logical extension of previous paradigms such as [[abstract data types]] and [[structured programming]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Meyer|first=Bertrand|title=Object-Oriented Software Construction|year=1988|publisher=Prentice Hall International Series in Computer Science|___location=Cambridge|isbn=0-13-629049-3|pages=52–54}}</ref>