Object Class: _changeMethod

Object Class: _changeMethod

Changes a method's metadata on a class or object

Syntax
Details

Syntax

return = objectName._changeMethod( methodName,metadataList,returnMethodID );

return = objectName._changeMethod( methodID,metadataList,returnMethodID );

Argument Type Use Description

return Numeric Return returns a value indicating whether the method was successfully changed: 0 if successful, 1 if not successful

methodName Character Input specifies the name of the method you want to change

metadataList List Input specifies a list containing name items for the method metadata to change

returnMethodID Numeric Output returns a unique number assigned to the changed method

methodID Numeric Input specifies the unique number assigned to the method you want to change. Useful when working with an overloaded method to identify the correct method

Argument	Type	Use	Description
return	Numeric	Return	returns a value indicating whether the method was successfully changed: 0 if successful, 1 if not successful
methodName	Character	Input	specifies the name of the method you want to change
metadataList	List	Input	specifies a list containing name items for the method metadata to change
returnMethodID	Numeric	Output	returns a unique number assigned to the changed method
methodID	Numeric	Input	specifies the unique number assigned to the method you want to change. Useful when working with an overloaded method to identify the correct method

Details

If a method has only one signature, you can use either _changeMethod signature, _changeMethod(methodName) or _changeMethod(methodID). For methods that have multiple signatures, the following rules apply:

You can change NAME, DESCRIPTION, SCOPE, and ENABLED items at the method name level using _changeMethod(methodName), which would affect all occurrences of that method.
You must use _changeMethod(methodID) with the appropriate id if you want to change SIGNATURE, ENTRY, or LABEL since these items correspond to a specific signature. If you try to use _changeMethod(methodName) to change one of these signature-dependent items, the action fails and you are prompted to use the correct signature.
SCOPE can be different between signatures of the same method. Use _changeMethod(methodName) to change SCOPE for all signatures of a method, or use _changeMethod(methodID) to change SCOPE for a specific signature.

When changing a NEW method, any item can be changed if performed on a class ID instead of an instance. If you change an instance (per-instance) method, you cannot change the SCOPE; it is always PUBLIC on instance methods.

When using _changeMethod to override an INHERITED method:

You cannot change NAME and SIGNATURE. If you pass these items, they are ignored.
On a class ID, you can only change SCOPE to be less restrictive. (That is, if the inherited method is PROTECTED, you can only change it to PRIVATE. If the inherited method is PUBLIC, you can change it to either PRIVATE or PROTECTED.) You cannot change a PROTECTED inherited method to PUBLIC.
On an instance, you cannot change SCOPE; it is always PUBLIC for inherited methods.
Changing the value for ENABLED does not mark an INHERITED method as OVERRIDDEN. Changes to any other item, however, also changes the STATE from INHERITED to OVERRIDDEN.
If you forward the method, ENTRY= is ignored. Instead, COMPONENT and COMP_METHOD are the checked items.

SAS/AF software returns the new methodID of the method if you use _changeMethod to override an inherited method. For example, if someMethod is an inherited method whose id is 806 and _changeMethod is run to override it, the someMethod method is overridden and a new id is returned via the methodID argument.

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