View source for EN/documentation/basic guide/properties and methods api

<section begin=title /><noinclude>{{DISPLAYTITLE:</noinclude>Properties and Methods (API)<noinclude>}}</noinclude><section end=title />{{BreadCrumbL10n}}

{{Documentation/BASICGuideTOC
|ShowPrevNext=block
|ShowPrevPage=block
|PrevPage=EN/documentation/basic_guide/uno
|NextPage=EN/documentation/basic_guide/modules_services_and_interfaces
|api=block
}}

An object in {{OOo}} Basic provides a range of properties and methods which can be called by means of the object. 

== Properties ==

'''Properties''' are like the properties of an object; for example, <tt>Filename</tt> and <tt>Title</tt> for a <tt>Document</tt> object.

The properties are set by means of a simple assignment:

<source lang="oobas">
Document.Title = "OpenOffice.org Basic Programmer's Guide"
Document.Filename = "basguide.odt"
</source>

A property, just like a normal variable, has a type that defines which values it can record. The preceding <tt>Filename</tt> and <tt>Title</tt> properties are of the string type.

=== Real Properties and Imitated Properties ===

Most of the properties of an object in {{OOo}} Basic are defined as such in the UNO description of the service. In addition to these "real" properties, there are also properties in {{OOo}} Basic which consist of two methods at the UNO level. One of these is used to query the value of the property and the other is issued to set it (<tt>get</tt> and <tt>set</tt> methods). The property has been virtually imitated from two methods. Character objects in UNO, for example, provide the <tt>getPosition</tt> and <tt>setPosition</tt> methods through which the associated key point can be called up and changed. The {{OOo}} Basic programmer can access the values through the <tt>Position</tt> property. Regardless of this, the original methods are also available (in our example, <tt>getPosition</tt> and <tt>setPosition</tt>).

== Methods ==

Methods can be understood as functions that relate directly to an object and through which this object is called. The preceding <tt>Document</tt> object could, for example, provide a <tt>Save</tt> method, which can be called as follows:

<source lang="oobas">
Document.Save()
</source>

Methods, just like functions, may contain parameters and return values. The syntax of such method calls is oriented towards classic functions. The following call also specifies the <tt>True</tt> parameter for the document object when requesting the Save method.

<source lang="oobas">
Ok = Document.Save(True)
</source>

Once the method has been completed, <tt>Save</tt> saves a return value in the <tt>Ok</tt> variable. 

 
{{PDL1}}