1. Use an AoAoH instead, and refer to each data member by name
  2. Use constant declarations to name each index; Use upper-case variables to show their status as constant names for indices
  3. Use a package with setter and getter functions or public data members and use an AoA with the package objects as the contents

The first is probably the way I would go. The second is probably mostly useful if performance is a concern; also it would of course mean you don't have to change your data structure. The third OO approach might be useful if your objects not only have properties, but also methods.

The only thing to take into consideration with the first solution is that you don't have automatic protection against typos in property names like you do in the other two solutions. One possible solution is locked hashes, like I showed here, but note also what I mentioned lower down in that same thread (here) in regards to that they might be deprecated someday.

In reply to Re: Hash vs constant vs package vs other for data structure by haukex
in thread Hash vs constant vs package vs other for data structure by oldtechaa

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