The ::METHOD Directive

After writing a ::CLASS directive, use a ::METHOD directive to create a method for that class and define the method's attributes. The next directive in the program, or the end of the program, will end the method.

Some classes you define will have an INIT method. INIT is called whenever a NEW message is sent to a class. The INIT method should contain whatever code is needed to initialize the object.

While it is not required that a ::METHOD directive be preceded by a ::CLASS directive, without it the method is only accessible to the executable part of the program through REXX's .METHODS environment symbol. This symbol identifies a directory of methods that you can refer to by name. Only one method directive can appear for any method name not associated with a class.

As with the ::CLASS directive, the ::METHOD directive has a number of useful options; in this case they are used for:

• Creating a class method for the most-recent ::CLASS directive (the CLASS option)

• Creating a private method; that is, a method that works like a subroutine and can only be activated by the object it belongs to--otherwise the method is public by default, and any sender can activate it (the PRIVATE option)

• Creating a method that can be called while other methods are active on the same object, as described in Activating Methods (the UNGUARDED option)

• Creating a pair of instance methods, method_name and method_name=, for the preceding ::CLASS directive (the ATTRIBUTE option)