Re: Enums: Properties vs. Methods

From:

Lew <noone@lewscanon.com>

Newsgroups:

comp.lang.java.programmer

Date:

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:47:11 -0400

Message-ID:

<imsutq$115$1@news.albasani.net>

On 03/29/2011 11:18 AM, Robert Klemme wrote:

All,

I am just musing about the pros and cons of using boolean properties
in enum classes vs. custom methods. So far I found

pro Properties:
- less classes

How is that a pro?

- when adding enum values to an enum you cannot forget to define
properties

pro Methods:
- smaller memory footprint per instance

You actually don't know what the footprint will be once Hotspot takes over.
With your "toy" example, those booleans might all optimize away and both cases
take the same memory at runtime.

Considering that there are always only so many instances it seems the
properties approach wins. It seems, custom methods in enum instances
are most useful if enums do actually do something. Then different
enums can have differing implementations of the method and we have an
instance of Strategy / State pattern.

Do you have more items for the lists? Did I overlook something?

Your example didn't make a good case for why you'd want do do such a thing.

Your "methods" example is confusing and the purpose behind the logic deeply
obscured by the idioms. That alone is enough to kill it. Your "properties"
example was clear and concise and easy to follow.

No-brainer.

--
Lew
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Friz.jpg