VB.NET setting class property initial value

Question

When creating a object based on a class. There are certain properties that I prefer to not be value 0 or nothing. So I would like to set the initial value to 1.

Is this best done via the constructor?

Class Product
    Public Property Price As Decimal

    Public Sub New()
        Price = 1
    End Sub
End Class

Or can you also write it as following? Does this second version make the value fixed at 1 or can you also alter the value if It's written like this?

Class Product
    Public Property Price As Decimal = 1
End Class

Both ways are legal and neither results in a fixed value. The second will initialize Price before the constructor (Sub New) runs — Ňɏssa Pøngjǣrdenlarp
– Ňɏssa Pøngjǣrdenlarp, Commented Mar 29, 2016 at 13:50

davidallyoung · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-29 14:12:27Z

3

Either way you do it, it'll function the same, however do defer to how your team normally does it to maintain consistency.

However, if you do have instances where you may open up the constructor to allow setting of those properties on initialization based on some argument given to the constructor, I would opt to always setting it in the constructor for consistency. If the property always has a default value of X on initialization then inline it at the top so it stands out.

Basic Example:

Class Product
    Public Property Price As Decimal = 1
    Public Property Quantity As Integer

    Public Sub New()
        Quantity = 0
    End Sub

    Public Sub New(quantity As Integer)
        Quantity = quantity
    End Sub
End Class

answered Mar 29, 2016 at 14:12

davidallyoung

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Luis Tellez · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-29 13:51:24Z

0

At the end its the same, in both cases you can change the values.

answered Mar 29, 2016 at 13:51

Luis Tellez

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the_lotus · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-29 14:02:19Z

0

No difference, you can alter the value unless it's const or readonly. If you do the second, the compiler will sort of convert it like your first version. Here's a little program that'll show you. This will display 0 and then 1.

Module Module1

    Sub Main()

        Dim o As New B

        Console.ReadLine()

    End Sub

End Module

MustInherit Class A

    Public Sub New()
        Show()
    End Sub

    Public MustOverride Sub Show()

End Class

Class B
    Inherits A

    Private test As Integer = 1

    Public Sub New()
        MyBase.New()
        ' Value for test is being set here
        Show()
    End Sub

    Public Overrides Sub Show()
        Console.WriteLine(test)
    End Sub

End Class

answered Mar 29, 2016 at 14:02

the_lotus

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