MATLAB: Conditionally define get/set class methods - matlab

Question

I have created some MATLAB classes to do some error-checking when I use certain types of structures. This improve development time by preventing errors in the code, but significantly slow down execution time.
One way to get around this is to comment out the set methods inside the class. Is it possible to do this programmatically? For example, only define these methods if a parameter in the constructor is true.
classdef MWE
%MWE Minimum working example
properties
A
B
C
end
methods
function obj = MWE(A, B, C)
if nargin ~= 3
error('A, B and C must all be provided.');
end
obj.A = A;
obj.B = B;
obj.C = C;
end
% function obj = set.A(obj, value)
% validate(obj, value, 'A');
% obj.A = value;
% end
%
% function obj = set.B(obj, value)
% validate(obj, value, 'B');
% obj.B = value;
% end
%
% function obj = set.C(obj, value)
% validate(obj, value, 'C');
% obj.C = value;
% end
end
methods (Access = private)
function validate(obj, value, name)
% Code here
end
end
end

Answer 1

Is it possible to do this programmatically? For example, only define these methods if a parameter in the constructor is true.
After some discussion, I see there are different ways of looking at your question. And, indeed, it may be that you cannot do what you are asking as interpreted by some. Here are two cases, however, that may suffice.
Case 1
You have computationally intensive or otherwise time consuming methods, that you use to "do some error-checking", in a development setting, but want to turn off in a production environment. And, these checks occur when the class is instantiated.
Place these methods in a wrapper function that is called from the constructor.
Here's an example
classdef classFoo
properties(Access=private)
fbar;
end
methods
function this = classFoo(arg1, argN, debugMode)
if(nargin>2 && debugMode)
if(~this.verifyStuff(arg1, argN))
throw(MException('classFoo:ConstructFailure','Could not verify'));
else
this.fbar = timeConsumingFunction();
end
else
this.fbar = 42; % defaultValue;
end
% continue construction
end
function didVerify = verifyStuff(this, varargin)
% complex code
didVerify = randi(2)-1; % 50/50
end
end
end
Then when creating objects you can choose to pass the debug mode flag as true like this:
a=classFoo(1,2,true)
or as false, like this:
a=classFoo(1,2,false)
or not at all, which is the same as the false case, like this:
a=classFoo(1,2)
Case 2
You have two different versions of a get/set method that you are commenting out depending on your development environment.
Add a private member parameter (e.g. isDebugging) and set it at time of construction. Now, instead of commenting out code in your get and set methods, you can handle the different cases with a simple if/else, predicated on your debug state like this:
classdef classFoo
properties(Access=private)
fbar;
isDebugging;
end
methods
function this = classFoo(debugMode)
if(nargin<1 || ~islogical(debugMode))
debugMode = false;
end
this.isDebugging = debugMode;
end
function setfbar(this, fIn)
if(this.isDebugging)
this.fbar = timeConsumingFunction(fIn);
else
this.fbar = fIn; % defaultValue;
end
end
end
end