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Add getters and setters concept and exercise (#687)
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meatball133 authored Aug 17, 2024
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5 changes: 5 additions & 0 deletions concepts/getters-setters/.meta/config.json
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{
"blurb": "Crystal has macros for defining getters and setters. These are used to access and modify the instance variables of a class.",
"authors": ["meatball133"],
"contributors": ["ryanplusplus"]
}
1 change: 1 addition & 0 deletions concepts/getters-setters/.meta/template.md
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{% $getters-setters %}
96 changes: 96 additions & 0 deletions concepts/getters-setters/about.md
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# Getters and setters

Getters and setters are methods that allow you to read and write the value of an object's property.
Crystal has macros, which makes it easy to define getters and setters for a property.
Macros are a way to generate code at compile time, which will be covered later in the macro concept.

In Ruby these methods are defined using the `attr_reader`, `attr_writer` and `attr_accessor` methods and are very similar to Crystals implementation on the surface.
Crystal has defined these as `getter`, `setter` and `property` macros.

## Getters

Getter is a macro that defines a method that returns the value of an instance variable.
This means that you no longer have to write `@` in front of the instance variable when you want to access it (in methods, excluding initialize); instead, you can call the method that the getter macro has defined.

The getter macro can accept multiple instance variables by separating them with commas.

```crystal
# This:
class Person
@nane : String
@age : Int32
  def name
@name
  end
  def age
@age
  end
end
# Is the same as this:
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  getter name, :age
end
```

As you can see, using getter reduces the amount of code you write and makes it easier to read.
Also, Ruby and Crystal differ in that Crystal accepts both the variable name and symbol as arguments for the getter macro.
Symbols will be covered later in the symbol concept.

## Setters

Setter is a macro that defines a method that sets the value of an instance variable.
This macro isn't that often found and is commonly the `property` macro used instead.
The methods that will be created will look like `name_of_method=`; the `=` is what makes it so the property can be set.

This method definition is a bit special since the argument the method receives is after the `=` sign.
Several other special methods in Crystal use this syntax, like the `+` method.

As with the getter macro, when you want to update the value of an instance variable after defining a setter, you can call the method that the setter macro has defined.

```crystal
# This:
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  def name=(name : String)
@name = name
  end
  def age=(age : Int32)
@age = age
  end
end
# Is the same as this:
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  setter name, :age
end
```

## Property

Property is a macro that defines both a getter and a setter for an instance variable.

```crystal
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  property name, :age
end
```

[getters_and_macros]: https://crystal-lang.org/reference/syntax_and_semantics/methods_and_instance_variables.html#getters-and-setters
[getter]: https://crystal-lang.org/api/Object.html#getter%28%2Anames%2C%26block%29-macro
[setter]: https://crystal-lang.org/api/Object.html#setter%28%2Anames%29-macro
[property]: https://crystal-lang.org/api/Object.html#property%28%2Anames%2C%26block%29-macro
95 changes: 95 additions & 0 deletions concepts/getters-setters/introduction.md
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# Getters and setters

Getters and setters are methods that allow you to read and write the value of an object's property.
Crystal has macros, which makes it easy to define getters and setters for a property.
Macros are a way to generate code at compile time, which will be covered later in the macro concept.

In Ruby these methods are defined using the `attr_reader`, `attr_writer` and `attr_accessor` methods and are very similar to Crystals implementation on the surface.
Crystal has defined these as `getter`, `setter` and `property` macros.

## Getters

Getter is a macro that defines a method that returns the value of an instance variable.
This means that you no longer have to write `@` in front of the instance variable when you want to access it (in methods, excluding initialize); instead, you can call the method that the getter macro has defined.

The getter macro can accept multiple instance variables by separating them with commas.

```crystal
# This:
class Person
@nane : String
@age : Int32
  def name
@name
  end
  def age
@age
  end
end
# Is the same as this:
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  getter name, :age
end
```

As you can see, using getter reduces the amount of code you write and makes it easier to read.
Also, Ruby and Crystal differ in that Crystal accepts both the variable name and symbol as arguments for the getter macro.
Symbols will be covered later in the symbol concept.

## Setters

Setter is a macro that defines a method that sets the value of an instance variable.
This macro isn't that often found and is commonly the `property` macro used instead.
The methods that will be created will look like `name_of_method=`; the `=` is what makes it so the property can be set.

This method definition is a bit special since the argument the method receives is after the `=` sign.
Several other special methods in Crystal use this syntax, like the `+` method.

As with the getter macro, when you want to update the value of an instance variable after defining a setter, you can call the method that the setter macro has defined.

```crystal
# This:
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  def name=(name : String)
@name = name
  end
  def age=(age : Int32)
@age = age
  end
end
# Is the same as this:
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  setter name, :age
end
```

## Property

Property is a macro that defines both a getter and a setter for an instance variable.

```crystal
class Person
@name : String
@age : Int32
  property name, :age
end
```

[getter]: https://crystal-lang.org/api/Object.html#getter%28%2Anames%2C%26block%29-macro
[setter]: https://crystal-lang.org/api/Object.html#setter%28%2Anames%29-macro
[property]: https://crystal-lang.org/api/Object.html#property%28%2Anames%2C%26block%29-macro
6 changes: 6 additions & 0 deletions concepts/getters-setters/links.json
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[
{
"url": "https://crystal-lang.org/reference/syntax_and_semantics/methods_and_instance_variables.html#getters-and-setters",
"description": "Crystal docs: getters and setters"
}
]
17 changes: 17 additions & 0 deletions config.json
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],
"status": "beta"
},
{
"slug": "weighing-machine",
"name": "Weighing Machine",
"uuid": "317930f4-4c97-4962-a04e-76e6d60b7fba",
"concepts": [
"getters-setters"
],
"prerequisites": [
"strings"
],
"status": "beta"
},
{
"slug": "high-school-sweetheart",
"name": "High School Sweetheart",
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1524,6 +1536,11 @@
"slug": "strings",
"name": "Strings"
},
{
"uuid": "b5f40f9a-d3bf-4e82-9918-a04649f08655",
"slug": "getters-setters",
"name": "Getters and Setters"
},
{
"uuid": "4dd28cdc-f197-490b-bbfb-5cd33bbdb6af",
"slug": "binary-octal-hexadecimal",
Expand Down
24 changes: 24 additions & 0 deletions exercises/concept/weighing-machine/.docs/hints.md
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# Hints

## General

- To create the getter and setter methods you should use the `getter`, `setter` and `property` macros.

## 1. Create an initial state for the weighing machine

- To initialize the weighing machine you should use the `initialize` method.
- The method should take two arguments, `precision` and `metric`, which should be an `Int32` and `Bool`, respectively.
These should be used to set the instance variables `@precision` and `@metric`.
- The instance variable `@weight` should be set to `0.0`.

## 2. Allow the weighing machine to have a precision

- The `getter` macro allows you to define a method that returns the value of an instance variable.

## 3. Allow the weight to be set on the weighing machine

- The `property` macro allows you to define a method that gets and sets the value of an instance variable.

## 4. Allow the machine to be switch between metric and imperial units

- The `setter` macro allows you to define a method that sets the value of an instance variable.
64 changes: 64 additions & 0 deletions exercises/concept/weighing-machine/.docs/instructions.md
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# Instructions

In this exercise you'll be modeling a weighing machine.

## 1. Create an initial state for the weighing machine

When initialized, the weighing machine should refer to its factory settings which is different for where the machine is sold.
Thereby the machine should be able to be initialized with a precision and if it is metric or imperial.

Implement the `WeighingMachine#initialize` method which takes two arguments, `precision` which is an `Int32` and `metric` which is a `Bool`.
The `metric` argument when `true` means that the machine should use the metric system, otherwise it should use the imperial system.
The initialize method set should also set the instance variable `@weight` to `0.0`.

```crystal
precision = 3
metric = true
vm = WeighingMachine.new(precision, metric)
```

## 2. Allow the weighing machine to have a precision

To cater to different demands, we allow each weighing machine to be customized with a precision (the number of digits after the decimal separator).

Implement the `WeighingMachine#precision` getter method to return the precision of the weighing machine.

```crystal
precision = 3
metric = true
vm = WeighingMachine.new(precision, metric)
vm.precision
# => 3
```

## 3. Allow the weight to be set on the weighing machine

Implement the `WeighingMachine#weight` property to allow the weight to be get _and_ set:

```crystal
precision = 3
metric = true
wm = WeighingMachine.new(precision, metric)
wm.weight = 60.5
wm.weight
# => 60.5
wm.weigh
# => 60.5
```

## 4. Allow the machine to be switch between metric and imperial units

Implement the `WeighingMachine#metric=` property to allow the unit to be set.
It should accept a boolean value.

```crystal
precision = 3
metric = true
wm = WeighingMachine.new(precision, metric)
vm.weight = 60.5
wm.metric = false
vm.weigh
# => 133.377
```
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