What if you don't have access to the original source code? Usually you do in Perl, but it's not always convenient to modify it. You're then at the mercy of someone else's design decisions.

That's usually why you'd need protected elements. So derived classes can access them. But I believe there are cases where you should be mindful of changing access to private information. It's private for a reason.

In reply to Re^5: I hate the leading underscores. by RazorbladeBidet
in thread I hate the leading underscores. by Anonymous Monk

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