Avoid Traditional Getter and Setter Methods in JavaScript and TypeScript

Learn why using getter and setter methods in JavaScript and TypeScript might be unnecessary. Discover how modern versions of JavaScript and TypeScript eliminate the need for traditional getters and setters, allowing for a more concise and flexible code structure.

Published 11 months ago by @danvdk on effectivetypescript.com

Abstract

The article discusses why traditional getter and setter methods commonly used in Java are considered a poor practice in JavaScript and TypeScript. It explains how these methods are unnecessary in JS/TS due to language features like get and set methods introduced in ES5. By transitioning from traditional getters and setters to public properties, developers can streamline their code and improve flexibility. The article advises against using simple getter and setter methods in modern JS/TS code, promoting the use of public properties instead.

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Discussion

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Relevance

This article is crucial for you as it highlights a common pitfall when transitioning from Java to JavaScript/TypeScript. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the differences in language features and encourages you to optimize your code by avoiding unnecessary getter and setter methods.

Applicability

If you are using JavaScript or TypeScript in your projects, you should reconsider the use of traditional getter and setter methods. Instead, utilize public properties to streamline your code and improve its flexibility. When reviewing code, suggest replacing simple getter and setter methods with public properties to enhance code readability.

Risks

One potential risk is the misuse of get and set methods, leading to unexpected behavior in the code. It's essential to ensure that your get and set methods logically correspond to each other to avoid confusion. Additionally, transitioning from traditional getters and setters to public properties may require refactoring existing code, which could introduce bugs if not done carefully.

Conclusion

The trend in modern JavaScript and TypeScript development is to move away from traditional getter and setter methods towards utilizing more concise and flexible approaches afforded by language features like get and set methods. Understanding and embracing these advancements can help you write cleaner, more maintainable code in your projects.

References

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Effective TypeScript › Don't Write Traditional Getter and Setter Methods in JavaScript and TypeScript
Getter and setter methods (getFoo, setFoo) are common in Java and considered a best practice. But they're a code smell that's best avoided in JavaScript and TypeScript because the problem they solve in Java does not exist in JS/TS. This post looks at what that problem is and how you can solve it in TypeScript without imposing the boilerplate of getters and setters.

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