Default Getters and Setters

About

Implicit Accessors: Created automatically for all fields
Field-like Syntax: Accessed like regular fields
No Overhead: No performance penalty
Uniform Access Principle: Same syntax for fields and getters

Main Topics

Basic Usage

Definition: Automatic generation

Example:

class Person {
  String name; // Default getter/setter
}

void main() {
  var p = Person();
  p.name = 'Alice'; // Uses setter
  print(p.name);    // Uses getter
}

Final Fields

Definition: Read-only access

Example:

class Circle {
  final double radius; // Only getter
}

Type Safety

Definition: Enforced by compiler

Example:

class Box {
  int size;
}

void main() {
  var b = Box();
  b.size = 'text'; // Compile error
}

Null Safety
- Definition: Non-nullable by default
- Example:
```
class User {
  String name; // Non-nullable
}
```

Inheritance

Definition: Works with subclasses

Example:

class Animal {
  int age;
}

class Dog extends Animal {
  // Inherits age getter/setter
}

How to Use

Simple Fields: Use default accessors
Read-only: Mark fields final
Type Safety: Use type annotations
Initialization: Required for non-nullables

How It Works

Compilation: Generates accessors
Access: Same as field access
Optimization: Inlined by compiler
Null Safety: Enforced statically

Example:

class Rectangle {
  double width, height;

  Rectangle(this.width, this.height);
}

void main() {
  var rect = Rectangle(10, 20);
  print(rect.width); // Default getter
  rect.height = 30;  // Default setter
}

Conclusion

Default getters and setters provide a clean, efficient way to access object state with field-like syntax while maintaining encapsulation. They’re ideal for simple properties that don’t require additional logic during access or modification.