How to override inherited methods?

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classdef superClass < matlab.mixin.SetGet % SuperClass
properties
prop1 = [];
prop2 = [];
end
methods
function obj = superClass( )
obj.set( 'prop1', 'Hello!' );
obj.set( 'prop2', 'My name is' );
end
function set.prop1( self, value ) % Method that I want to override.
self.prop1 = value;
end
function set.prop2( self, value ) % I don't want to override all of them.
self.prop2 = value;
end
end
end
classdef subClass < superClass
properties
prop3 = [];
end
methods
function obj = subClass( )
obj.set( 'prop1', 'Hello' );
obj.set( 'prop2', 'My name is' );
obj.set( 'prop3', 'Dom.' );
end
function set.prop1( self, value ) % Override here, somehow...
value = strcat( value, ', World!' )
self.prop1 = value;
end
function set.prop3( self, value )
self.prop3 = value
end
end
end
Is there a way to override set.prop1() in 'subClass'? Do I need to change the methods attributes of the superClass set method, or the property attributes in 'subClass'/'superClass'? Here is the error when I try to define a subClass() instance:
----------------------------
"Error using subClass
Error: File: subClass.m Line: 1 Column: 10
Cannot specify a set function for property 'prop1' in class 'subClass', because that property is
not defined by that class."
----------------------------
If you create a 'prop1' property in 'subClass' and then again try to define an instance, then I get this error:
----------------------------
"Error using subClass
Cannot define property 'prop1' in class 'subClass' because the property has already been defined in the superclass
'superClass'."
----------------------------

Accepted Answer

Steven Lord
Steven Lord on 5 Dec 2019
You can't do what you asked. If you could, you could relax the property setting validation to the point where your subClass instance wouldn't be a valid superClass instance.
You may be able to do what you want, however. Your superClass's property setter could call a normal instance method that subClass could overload. See the trustedSubclassSetterHelper methods in the attached superClass495080 and subClass495080. That helper doesn't actually set the property (otherwise you get into a loop) but merely provides the updated value. This means that the value would have to be something both superClass495080 (in set.prop1) and subClass495080 (in trustedSubclassSetterHelper) accept as a valid value.
>> Q = superClass495080
Q =
superClass495080 with properties:
prop1: 'Hello!'
prop2: 'My name is'
>> Q2 = subClass495080
Q2 =
subClass495080 with properties:
prop3: 'Dom.'
prop1: 'Hello World!'
prop2: 'My name is'

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