Array properties also exist. These are properties that accept an index, just as an array does. The index can be one-dimensional, or multi-dimensional. In difference with normal (static or dynamic) arrays, the index of an array property doesn’t have to be an ordinal type, but can be any type.
A read specifier for an array property is the name method function that has the same return type as the property type. The function must accept as a sole argument a variable of the same type as the index type. For an array property, one cannot specify fields as read specifiers.
A write specifier for an array property is the name of a method procedure that accepts two arguments: the first argument has the same type as the index, and the second argument is a parameter of the same type as the property type. As an example, see the following declaration:
Type TIntList = Class Private Function GetInt (I : Longint) : longint; Function GetAsString (A : String) : String; Procedure SetInt (I : Longint; Value : Longint;); Procedure SetAsString (A : String; Value : String); Public Property Items [i : Longint] : Longint Read GetInt Write SetInt; Property StrItems [S : String] : String Read GetAsString Write SetAsstring; end; Var AIntList : TIntList;
Then the following statements would be valid:
AIntList.Items[26] := 1;
AIntList.StrItems['twenty-five'] := 'zero';
WriteLn ('Item 26 : ',AIntList.Items[26]);
WriteLn ('Item 25 : ',AIntList.StrItems['twenty-five']);
While the following statements would generate errors:
AIntList.Items['twenty-five'] := 1; AIntList.StrItems[26] := 'zero';
Because the index types are wrong.
Array properties can be multi-dimensional:
Type TGrid = Class Private Function GetCell (I,J : Longint) : String; Procedure SetCell (I,J : Longint; Value : String); Public Property Cellcs [Row,Col : Longint] : String Read GetCell Write SetCell; end;
If there are N dimensions, then the types of the first N arguments of the getter and setter must correspond to the types of the N index specifiers in the array property definition.