Re: Glib::Object::Subclass and properties

[Torsten Schoenfeld <kaffeetisch gmx de>]

On 17.11.2011 12:59, Martin Schlemmer wrote:
> I have a Glib::Object::Subclass derived class, with a
> Glib::ParamSpec->boolean() property named 'symbols' that has a
> default value of TRUE. If I try to access it via $self->{symbols}, it
> does not exist. If I however do a $self->set( symbols =>
> $self->get('symbols') ) it does exist ...
>
> Feature or bug?

Well, I'd say it's an implementation detail that leaked.

If you don't overwrite them, G:O:Subclass gives you default 
implementations of the GET_PROPERTY and SET_PROPERTY vfuncs that 
retrieve/store property values inside the object hash.  (See 'perldoc 
Glib::Object::Subclass' for more details.)  But if you haven't called 
set() yet, then nothing will be stored in the object hash.  You could 
argue that G:O:Subclass should make sure that the value in the hash is 
initially set to the default value if there is one.  But that doesn't 
sound too robust.  So I think you, as the class implementor, should 
handle initializing these values yourself.

Or you could just always go through get()/set() instead of direct hash 
access.