functions to return properties?

[Richard Gaskin]

erik hansen wrote:

> is there any reason NOT to use:
> 
> function myVar
> return (the uMyVar of this stack)
> end return
> 
> in scripts?
> it sure saves script space.

It sure does, with many benefits.

Such functions are generically referred to as "accessors", and can be a very
smart way to handle things.   By creating simple functions to access data,
as you've found it simplifies coding, reducing errors which in turn reduces
development and maintence time.

But more significantly, accessors route all of your storage-handling to a
small set of functions that could, ideally, be tossed into a library or
backscript for global access.  With the philosophy that separating code,
data, and UI keep large projects easier to maintain and enhance, accessors
support this philosophy well by minimizing hard-coded references to data
storage mechanisms.

If, for example, you decide in a future version of your app to migrate
custom props to a database, you'd only need to update your accessor
functions contained in one small library and the rest of your code
throughout your app continues to work without modification; used
consistently, you'll never have to wonder if you've caught all of the places
your code refers to storage mechanisms.

-- 
 Richard Gaskin 
 Fourth World Media Corporation
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