access data returned from a method of a class in other methods

I've the following class

classdef setting
    SETTING Summary of this class goes here
      Detailed explanation goes here
    
    properties(Constant)
        n = setting.get_n;
        q = setting.get_q;
    end
    
    methods(Static)
        function data = load_setting
            File = 'Configuration.ini';
            I = INI('File',File);
            I.read();
            data = I.get('UserData'); % struct
        end
        
        function n = get_n
            data = setting.load_setting;
            n = data.m + 2;
        end

        function q = get_q
            data = setting.load_setting;
            temp = data.q;
            q           = fieldnames(temp);        
        end
    end
end

I'd like to know if it is possible to access `data` returned by load_setting automatically in the rest of the methods defined in the class instead of calling it `data = load_setting ` in each method. Suggestions will be really helpful.

Answer 1

[Turlough Hughes]

You could make it a private property, the private property can only be accessed by the class (see property attributes). You're probably also best to initialise obj.data in the constructor; this means you wont have to invoke the function obj.setting, data is created when the object is instatiated:

classdef setting

    properties (Access = private)
        data
    end

    methods
        function obj = setting %rename load_setting to setting to make it a constructor
            obj.data = 'someData';
        end
        
        function test(obj)
            obj.data
        end
    end
    
end

Calling obj.test, demonstrates that you can access the data property, obj.data, anywhere inside your class:

s = setting
s.test

ans =

    'someData'

[Turlough Hughes]

You could also keep the load_setting function and call that from the constructor this way:

classdef setting

    properties (Access = private)
        data
    end
    
    methods
        function obj = setting % constructor
            obj = load_setting(obj);
        end
        
        function obj = load_setting(obj)
            obj.data = 'someData';
        end
        
        function test(obj)
            obj.data
        end
    end
    
end

[Deepa Maheshvare]

@Turlough Hughes,

Thanks for the reposne. Could you please clarify the following

When data is a struct how should I access data to set up constant properties defined in the method `get_n` and `get_q` mentioned in my original post?

    properties(Constant)
        n = setting.get_n;
        q = setting.get_q;
    end