get and set in TypeScript

Question

I'm trying to create get and set method for a property:

private _name: string;

Name() {
    get:
    {
        return this._name;
    }
    set:
    {
        this._name = ???;
    }
}

What's the keyword to set a value?

The underscore and PascalCase conflicts with the Typescript coding guidlines: github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/Coding-guidelines — Niels Steenbeek
Hi @NielsSteenbeek - following the TypeScript contributors guidelines with properties and backing fields you'd end up with a name conflict. What's the suggested approach? — Jordan
Perhaps: typescript private name: string; getName() { get: { return this.name; } set: { this.name = ???; } } — Jordan
Good thing those Typescript coding guidelines are pretty unattractive. I would only use them under coercion (e.g. I was paid to do so). — Thomas Eding
@NielsSteenbeek: did you read that document? "This is NOT a prescriptive guideline for the TypeScript community" — Jonathan Cast

Ezward Ezward · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-12T00:19:25

TypeScript uses getter/setter syntax that is like ECMAScript4/ActionScript3.

class foo {
    private _bar: boolean = false;
    get bar(): boolean {
        return this._bar;
    }
    set bar(value: boolean) {
        this._bar = value;
    }
}

That will produce this JavaScript, using the ECMAScript 5 Object.defineProperty() feature.

var foo = (function () {
    function foo() {
        this._bar = false;
    }
    Object.defineProperty(foo.prototype, "bar", {
        get: function () {
            return this._bar;
        },
        set: function (value) {
            this._bar = value;
        },
        enumerable: true,
        configurable: true
    });
    return foo;
})();

So to use it,

var myFoo = new foo();
if(myFoo.bar) {         // calls the getter
    myFoo.bar = false;  // calls the setter and passes false
}

However, in order to use it at all, you must make sure the TypeScript compiler targets ECMAScript5. If you are running the command line compiler, use --target flag like this;

tsc --target ES5

If you are using Visual Studio, you must edit your project file to add the flag to the configuration for the TypeScriptCompile build tool. You can see that here:

As @DanFromGermany suggests below, if your are simply reading and writing a local property like foo.bar = true, then having a setter and getter pair is overkill. You can always add them later if you need to do something, like logging, whenever the property is read or written.

Getters can be used to implement readonly properties. Here is an example that also shows how getters interact with readonly and optional types.

//
// type with optional readonly property.
// baz?:string is the same as baz:string|undefined
//
type Foo = {
    readonly bar: string;
    readonly baz?: string;
}
const foo:Foo = {bar: "bar"}
console.log(foo.bar) // prints 'bar'
console.log(foo.baz) // prints undefined

//
// interface with optional readonly property
//
interface iFoo {
    readonly bar: string;
    readonly baz?: string;
}

const ifoo:iFoo = {bar: "bar"}
console.log(ifoo.bar)  // prints 'bar'
console.log(ifoo.baz)  // prints undefined


//
// class implements bar as a getter, 
// but leaves off baz.
//
class iBarClass implements iFoo {

    get bar() { return "bar" }
}
const iBarInstance = new iBarClass()
console.log(iBarInstance.bar)  // prints 'bar'
// accessing bas gives warning that bas does not exist 
// on iBarClass but returns undefined
console.log(iBarInstance.bas) // prints 'undefined'
// note that you could define baz as a getter
// and just return undefined to remove the warning.


//
// class implements optional readonly property as a getter
//
class iBazClass extends iBarClass {
    private readonly _baz?: string

    constructor(baz?:string) {
        super()
        this._baz = baz
    }

    get baz() { return this._baz; }
}

const iBazInstance = new iBazClass("baz")
console.log(iBazInstance.bar)  // prints bar
console.log(iBazInstance.baz)  // prints baz

get and set in TypeScript

10 Answers