Chapter 8.11, Problem 47SC

Program Plan Intro

Java Accessor(getter):

• The java Accessor or getter is a conventional method used to retrieve the value of variables.
• The accessor or getter is a method that does not changes the state of an object. The accessor method tells the object to compute something without changing its state.
• For example,

  //calling the accessor method

  double height = rectangle.getHeight();

• In the above example, the object “rectangle” tells the method “getHeight()” to find the height. Here, the method only finds the value and it save to the variable “height”.
• Here, the method “getHeight()” is a setter.

Java Mutator(setter):

• The java Mutator or setter is a conventional method used to update value of variables.
• The mutator or setter is a method that change the object’s state. That is mutator modifies the object by which it is called. This is happened when the variable values get updated.
• For example,

//calling the mutator method

rectangle.setHeight(1000);

• In the above example, the method “setHeight()” is a mutator because it initializes some values to the members of the object “rectangle” and thus changes the state of the object.