C++ getters/setters coding style

Question

I have been programming in C# for a while and now I want to brush up on my C++ skills.

Having the class:

class Foo
{
    const std::string& name         


        

Answer 1

From the Design Patterns theory; "encapsulate what varies". By defining a 'getter' there is good adherence to the above principle. So, if the implementation-representation of the member changes in future, the member can be 'massaged' before returning from the 'getter'; implying no code refactoring at the client side where the 'getter' call is made.

Regards,

Answer 2

Collected ideas from multiple C++ sources and put it into a nice, still quite simple example for getters/setters in C++:

class Canvas { public:
    void resize() {
        cout << "resize to " << width << " " << height << endl;
    }

    Canvas(int w, int h) : width(*this), height(*this) {
        cout << "new canvas " << w << " " << h << endl;
        width.value = w;
        height.value = h;
    }

    class Width { public:
        Canvas& canvas;
        int value;
        Width(Canvas& canvas): canvas(canvas) {}
        int & operator = (const int &i) {
            value = i;
            canvas.resize();
            return value;
        }
        operator int () const {
            return value;
        }
    } width;

    class Height { public:
        Canvas& canvas;
        int value;
        Height(Canvas& canvas): canvas(canvas) {}
        int & operator = (const int &i) {
            value = i;
            canvas.resize();
            return value;
        }
        operator int () const {
            return value;
        }
    } height;
};

int main() {
    Canvas canvas(256, 256);
    canvas.width = 128;
    canvas.height = 64;
}

Output:

new canvas 256 256
resize to 128 256
resize to 128 64

You can test it online here: http://codepad.org/zosxqjTX

PS: FO Yvette <3