property_slots.java

// property slots.... get the extensibility of getters/setters along with the conciseness of the common case where they trivially wrap a field

   class Slot<X> {
        private X x;

        public Slot(){this.x=null;}
        private Slot(X x) { this.x=x; }

        static <X> Slot<X> slot(X x){ return new Slot<>(x); }
        static <X> Slot<X> slot(){ return new Slot<X>(null); }

        public X get() { return x; }
        public void set(X x) { this.x=x; }
    }

    class Bob {
        // easy to declare without monkey code
        public final Slot<Long> timestamp = slot(69L);
        public final Slot<Thread> myFavoriteThread = slot();

        // but easy to extend
        public final Slot<String> nickname = new Slot<String>() {
            private String _nickname = "Anonymous coward";
            @Override public String get() { return "Mr. " + _nickname; }
            @Override public void set(String s) { _nickname = s; }
        };

        // the only catch?
 
        // it won't interoperate with anything else, now that the unfortunate getter/setter name convention is so ingrained :( 
    }