>However, there is another reason why you might pull the values into local
>variables -- it might make the code clearer.  All the self-sends tend to
>clutter up the code and make it less readable.  But then if you think that,
>then you'll probably agree with me (/and/ Kent Beck and OA ;-) that
>getter/setter methods are /not/ a good idea in general.  I'm in the "strongly
>opposed to accessor methods" camp myself (i.e. I think the "substantial body of
>opinion", mentioned above, is Just Plain Wrong) -- I think they obfuscate the
>code, hide what's going on (an object doesn't have to hide implementation
>details from /itself/ for God's sake ! ;-), and anyway the very concept of
>"accessor method" is an affront to OO thinking.  I've never seen a
>justification offered for their use that made much sense at all to me.  And, as
>icing on the cake of a bad idea, they also run more slowly...