[Newbies] Are setters a good idea?

[Blake]

On Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:47:39 -0700, Ralph Johnson <johnson at cs.uiuc.edu>  
wrote:

> On Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 1:40 PM, Andy Burnett
> <andy.burnett at knowinnovation.com> wrote:
>> I read somewhere - can't remember where - that setters are considered  
>> evil.

> This is not a good argument.  Many Smalltalk objects are not modeled
> after the real world.  Even if they are, is there really any
> difference between sprayPaint: aColour and colour: aColour?
>
> Setters are neither good nor evil.  It is how you use them that is
> good or evil.  Many people overuse setters.  I try to avoid setters
> because it is harder to tell where a variable is modified if there is
> a setter.  But sometimes they are just what you need.

If you're going to assign an action verb to a setter, it should be  
reflective of the process.

donut := Donut makePlain.
donut ice: #chocolate.
donut addSprinkles: jimmies atRandom.

IMO.