Getter and setter methods - What are they??

9:18 AM

Well, once you start using a controller or an extension you will get used to these words...

So, it is good that we understand what these methods really do..

Getter and setter methods are used to pass data from your visualforce page to your controller and vice versa..

Let's take a very simple scenario... Let's assume you want to display a textbox in your visualforce page.. When the user enters some value in this textbox and clicks on a button you want the value entered by the user in your Apex class (ie. basically your controller or extension)

So go ahead and create a simple visualforce page.. the code for this would be

<apex:page controller="simplegetset">
  <apex:form>
    <apex:outputlabel value="Enter your name here"/>
       <apex:inputtext value="{!userinput}"/>          
  </apex:form>    
</apex:page>


The Apex code for this page would be...

public class simplegetset
{
    public String userinput{get; set;}
}


Now, the variable "userinput" in your Apex class will store the value entered by the user....

Let's analyze the methods now...

Get

The "get" method is used to pass data from your Apex code to your Visualforce page.. In our example we are not passing any value.. hence, when your page loads initially the textbox will have a empty value...

So, lets modify our code and pass a default value to the textbox.. Change the Apex code as follows..

public class simplegetset
{  
    public String userinput;
    public String getuserinput(){return 'John';}
   
    public void setuserinput(String userinput)
    {
        this.userinput = userinput;
    }   
}


You can now see that your page loads with a value 'John'...

Set

The "set" method is used to pass values from your visualforce page to the controller... In our example the variable "userinput" will be storing the value entered in the textbox..

Now modify your VF page as below..

<apex:page controller="simplegetset">
  <apex:form>
    <apex:outputlabel value="Enter your name here"/>
       <apex:inputtext value="{!userinput}">
           <apex:actionsupport event="onclick" rerender="display" />
       </apex:inputtext>                   
    <apex:outputpanel id="display">
        <apex:outputtext value="The name entered is {!userinput}"/>
    </apex:outputpanel>                   
  </apex:form>    
</apex:page>


The Apex code would be...

public class simplegetset
{
    public String userinput{get; set;}
}


In this example what happens is.. the variable "userinput" stores the value entered in visualforce page and passes it to the Apex code.. hence you are able to see the entered value in the visualforce page..

I guess you might understand what i am saying.. to make things simple now use the same visualforce page.. but modify the Apex code as below..

public class simplegetset
{  
    public String userinput;
    public String getuserinput(){return 'John';}
   
    public void setuserinput(String userinput)
    {
        this.userinput = userinput;
    }   
}


Now, whatever value you enter the page always displays "The name entered is John".... This is because your get method always returns 'John'... but still your set method will store the value you entered in the variable "userinput"....


Hope i did not confuse...

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62 comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 16, 2009 at 2:41 AM

    Thanks for this this was very easy to understand the get and set thanks a lot

    ReplyDelete
  2. Edwin RaymondJuly 16, 2009 at 3:06 AM

    Thanks a lot for your comments. Your comment really encourages me to post more...

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJuly 31, 2009 at 4:12 PM

    Hi there.

    This really helped me a lot!!

    I was able to fix my issue by reading your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Edwin RaymondAugust 2, 2009 at 1:56 AM

    Thanks a lot ... that really keeps me motivated to write more..

    ReplyDelete
  5. delmAugust 19, 2009 at 6:50 PM

    This really for dummy and it helped me a lot. I hope I can see tutorial like this, explaining in detail just like explaining to a grade one pupil.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2010 at 12:25 PM

    This post gave me a clear idea of get set. Thank you and keep posting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownApril 5, 2010 at 4:02 PM

    Thanks this helped me a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  8. jagadeeshJuly 27, 2010 at 5:10 AM

    hi it is very clear same code in the visual force tutorial is not clear thank u

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousOctober 29, 2010 at 12:18 AM

    Hi this Information is use full to learn GET SET methods. Thanks for providing this information.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousNovember 24, 2010 at 5:51 PM

    I don't think this works - since there is apparently no longer any way to add or edit Apex code.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousNovember 25, 2010 at 5:26 AM

    please could you help

    ReplyDelete
  12. EdwinJanuary 12, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    Hi.. If you are not able to add/edit apex code it depends upon your Edition of Salesforce..What edition do you use?

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownApril 13, 2011 at 5:36 AM

    thank you very much...now the concept is clear to me...

    ReplyDelete
  14. niketMay 4, 2011 at 4:57 AM

    Thanks for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  15. emMay 26, 2011 at 12:00 AM

    really helpful, keep up the good work

    ReplyDelete
  16. Suneel Kumar MishraJune 27, 2011 at 9:33 PM

    Great very simple and clear it's really good for beginner May u help me on Test Class . I am beginner in Apex

    ReplyDelete
  17. Edwin RaymondJuly 15, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    Thank you.. I have started writing a guide for TEST METHODS.. I have only the first two parts ready now.. Here it is http://www.forcetree.com/2011/01/guide-to-writing-test-methods-for-apex.html- PART 1 and....
    http://www.forcetree.com/2011/06/guide-to-writing-test-methods-for-apex.html - PART 2

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousAugust 5, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    great post

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousNovember 28, 2011 at 11:10 PM

    clear in explaining getter and setter methods

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousJanuary 12, 2012 at 11:05 PM

    Thanks for this post. I have a question - how many custom controllers can a VF page have? Can i use multiple custom controllers?

    ReplyDelete
  21. MahenderFebruary 1, 2012 at 6:15 AM

    Excellent.
    thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousApril 24, 2012 at 7:19 AM

    Thank you very much for such a providing good knowledge.its very helpful for who is starting career in salesforce..

    ReplyDelete
  23. venkatMay 3, 2012 at 4:42 AM

    Hi
    Can any provide step by step approach to learn dynamic apex(as u do for setter and getter methods)

    Thanks,

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousMay 18, 2012 at 10:51 PM

    tnx dude

    ReplyDelete
  25. p@v@nMay 22, 2012 at 3:25 AM

    great explaination, thanks!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousJuly 12, 2012 at 6:47 AM

    thanx a lot

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2012 at 4:19 AM

    nnnnnnnnnnnnn

    ReplyDelete
  28. UnknownSeptember 26, 2012 at 12:32 PM

    great explanation !!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. JoyousMNNovember 13, 2012 at 2:23 PM

    For the last explanation why not add the userinput variable?

    public class simplegetset
    {
    public String userinput;
    public String getuserinput(){return userinput;}

    public void setuserinput(String userinput)
    {
    this.userinput = userinput;
    }
    }

    Now it's functional

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousDecember 31, 2012 at 12:32 AM

    Really Helpful

    ReplyDelete
  31. Raju.ACJanuary 11, 2013 at 1:30 AM

    Your post helps me lot. Thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete
  32. UnknownMarch 4, 2013 at 12:13 AM

    really useful thanks.....could you please also write on trigger.old and trigger.old.map..?

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousMay 2, 2013 at 9:39 PM

    Keep up with the good work bro :) You're awesome.

    Mex

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousJune 5, 2013 at 11:54 PM

    Awesome dude...it made my day easy

    ReplyDelete
  35. AnonymousJuly 28, 2013 at 10:21 PM

    Very Helpful post.....

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousAugust 16, 2013 at 3:08 AM

    Nice post ...good for freshers like me

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousOctober 8, 2013 at 9:48 AM

    great work done ..... Thanks a lot . .. There is no such book i have founded .. where it is do much easy to learn ..


    Anks

    ReplyDelete
  38. AnonymousNovember 2, 2013 at 12:15 PM

    Great work...If possible please share output VF screen also, Please share links for your other posts related to VF and Apex which will help in learning for beginners like me.

    ReplyDelete
  39. UnknownJanuary 27, 2014 at 10:35 PM

    THANKU FOR YOU GIVING BASIC IDEAS FOR SET GET METHODS
    AND GIVE ME US TO TRIGGER.OLD, TRIGGER.NEW

    ReplyDelete
  40. UnknownMay 24, 2014 at 1:09 AM

    thanks alot for giving basic ideas. please also explain what action the action function and rerender will do in this example.

    ReplyDelete
  41. AnonymousJune 15, 2014 at 11:53 PM

    Very nice.
    Thanks !!

    ReplyDelete
  42. AnonymousJune 24, 2014 at 10:11 PM

    Excellent Explanation ! Thanks a Lot !

    ReplyDelete
  43. AnonymousAugust 17, 2014 at 7:42 AM




    Got the details explained, but it doesnt work when i want to allow user entered value to be updated in Phone#.

    How to write the get set for this?? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  44. Sohil $H@Rm@November 3, 2014 at 4:07 AM

    Superb..!!!

    ReplyDelete
  45. AnonymousNovember 4, 2014 at 11:18 PM

    Thanks a bunch.

    ReplyDelete
  46. UnknownApril 28, 2015 at 11:29 PM

    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  47. AnonymousJune 24, 2015 at 6:09 AM

    That was really a good way of explaining. Thanks for the explanation

    ReplyDelete
  48. VarunOctober 6, 2015 at 12:43 AM

    That was the best way of explaining get and set. Thanks !!!!

    ReplyDelete
  49. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2016 at 10:57 PM

    Thanks a lot...:)

    ReplyDelete
  50. salesforce dicussion for beginnersFebruary 29, 2016 at 6:34 AM

    thanku

    ReplyDelete
  51. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2017 at 11:08 PM

    Thank you very much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  52. UnknownApril 4, 2017 at 3:55 AM

    In the modified example whatever is e given in the vf page will be passed to controller.but what exactly is meant by this.userinput = userinput;? what are you trying to acheive here?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 28, 2017 at 5:49 AM

      public void setuserinput(String userinput)
      {
      this.userinput /** see 1 below **/ = userinput /** see 2 below **/;
      }

      1) this.userinput : This is userinput variable of type string which is defined in the controller at the top. "this" keyword is used to point towards the local variables of the class (in our case userinput) and hence its "this.userinput"


      2) userinput: is the parameter that which is accepted by setuserinput method as parameter.

      Basically the author is assigning the parameter to local variable of the controller there by setting it.

      Hope this helps :)

      Delete
  53. AnonymousJuly 6, 2017 at 3:46 AM

    for me the the last piece of code is working without actionSupport attribute.Can you help why?

    ReplyDelete
  54. 158745236January 20, 2018 at 3:36 AM

    good

    ReplyDelete
  55. UnknownMarch 13, 2018 at 4:15 AM

    Is it mandatory to use a getter(get) method before using any setter(set) method?

    ReplyDelete
  56. msantanaMarch 26, 2018 at 7:20 PM

    Something that is discovered.
    If I sue public String consoleId { get; set;} then a system.debug to check the value it works.

    However if I do the following with the with the same system.debug but adding a system.debug inside the GET and SET all my debug line are NULL.
    public String consoleId { get{System.debug('GET myString: '+consoleId);
    return consoleId;}
    set{System.debug('SET myString: ' + consoleId);}
    }
    Would you know any reason for it?

    ReplyDelete
  57. HakimAugust 4, 2018 at 11:44 AM

    Thanks a lot to post this get set concept here. I was able to connect with this and it solved my problem.

    ReplyDelete
  58. AnonymousOctober 5, 2018 at 7:49 AM

    This is just simple and clear picture of what these methods are doing...Thanks a lot

    ReplyDelete
  59. UnknownJanuary 5, 2022 at 12:35 PM

    very well explained.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  60. AnonymousMarch 28, 2022 at 5:31 AM

    Thank you very much. It's so clearly now.

    ReplyDelete
  61. AnonymousMarch 24, 2023 at 4:59 AM

    thank you. I always confuse simply because the "get" and "set" meaning. In English get mean taking sth, but in programming language it "give" value to the data in VF page rather than "taking" from it. So confusing

    ReplyDelete