Object-Oriented Getters and Setters vs Public Fields

Developers should use getters and setters when building OOP systems to enforce data validation, ensure consistency, and facilitate future changes without breaking external code meets developers should use public fields when creating simple data structures like dtos (data transfer objects) or pocos (plain old clr objects) where encapsulation is not a priority, or in performance-critical scenarios where minimizing method calls is beneficial. Here's our take.

Object-Oriented Getters and Setters

Nice Pick

Developers should use getters and setters when building OOP systems to enforce data validation, ensure consistency, and facilitate future changes without breaking external code

Pros

• They are essential in scenarios like user input handling, where setters can sanitize data, or in frameworks that rely on property access for features like data binding in UI libraries
• Related to: object-oriented-programming, encapsulation

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Public Fields

Developers should use public fields when creating simple data structures like DTOs (Data Transfer Objects) or POCOs (Plain Old CLR Objects) where encapsulation is not a priority, or in performance-critical scenarios where minimizing method calls is beneficial

Pros

• They are also common in languages like Python or JavaScript where public access is the default, but in stricter languages like Java or C#, they are generally discouraged in favor of properties or private fields with accessors to maintain control over data
• Related to: object-oriented-programming, encapsulation

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Object-Oriented Getters and Setters if: You want they are essential in scenarios like user input handling, where setters can sanitize data, or in frameworks that rely on property access for features like data binding in ui libraries and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use Public Fields if: You prioritize they are also common in languages like python or javascript where public access is the default, but in stricter languages like java or c#, they are generally discouraged in favor of properties or private fields with accessors to maintain control over data over what Object-Oriented Getters and Setters offers.

The Bottom Line

Object-Oriented Getters and Setters wins

Developers should use getters and setters when building OOP systems to enforce data validation, ensure consistency, and facilitate future changes without breaking external code