Question

When referencing class properties from a function within the class do you use the value from the actual property or the private variable value?

Which way is best? Why?

public class

  private m_Foo as double

  public property Foo() as double
    get
      return m_Foo
    end get
    set(byval value as double)
      m_Foo = value
    end set
  end property

  public function bar() as double
    Dim x as double = 5 * m_Foo
    Dim y as double = 3 * Foo
  end function

end class

Answer 1

Personally, I try to use the get/set accessor whenever possible, to avoid surprising myself when I change their logic and suddenly places where I access the private field don’t work as expected.