byKey and byValue: properties or methods?

[Marco Leise]

Am 19.01.2012, 21:53 Uhr, schrieb Jonathan M Davis <jmdavisProg at gmx.com>:

> On Thursday, January 19, 2012 20:56:39 Marco Leise wrote:
>> I just came across some C++ code and came to the conclusion, that
>> properties and indexed access should not modify the structure. In other
>> words all my @property and opIndex will probably also by const. An
>> exception to that being caching and access counting.
>
> I don't know why you came to that concluson. I don't agree at all.  
> Obviously,
> you're free to do what you want with your code, but that seems overly
> restrictive to little or no benefit. Properties can be both getters and  
> setters
> for a reason. It would be horrible if all you had were getters.
>
> - Jonathan M Davis

Ah, I meant to say that getters should not modify their object. When I see  
"a = abc.x[i]" I would be a little surprised to find that it changes the  
observable state of abc. The same goes for "a = b.length()". Now it is  
clearer, isn't is? :p