Sure, if this is what you have been given and you can't change it then I would not rewrite the whole class architecture either. I was more refering to a situation where you do make the choices. Anyway, I don't think I'm the only one who ever used a private _init method and I also wouldn't say that there arent' scenarios where a public init method isn't the right way to go. That's what I meant with choices of design/style.