Re: [Dev-C++] public/private data decision

[Daniel K. O. <dan...@ya...>]

OROSZI Balázs wrote:

> Suppose I have a class, which has some data. Mostly string data. Like 
> name, path, etc. Uptil now I always put these things into the private 
> part of my class, and I provided Get/Set methods for accessing them.
> I ask: does it worth the extra overhead? I mean, what if I simply put 
> the data into the public section, and then I have 2 (or more) member 
> functions less, and the same access to the data.
>
> Can someone with more experience with C++ give some guidelines to me 
> about this. Posting personal experience would be the best!


I recomend you to go search on Stroustrup's website for his interviews.
I remember he answering your questions. It was almos like this: if you
need to keep an invariant (like the rules about your data, to make sure
it's always valid) then you have a class, with private members and
set/get methods. But if all you need is to group the data togheter and
there's no special invariant to take care of, you actually have a plain
struct, and probably there's no need to the get/set methods.
Stroustrup is (obviously) much more objective than me, so better read
what he said about this. :)


Daniel K. O.