Vala files import

Question

I have a problem when work with properties in separated files in Vala Language

The Main.vala file is

using Teste;
using Cagado;

static int main(string[] args)
{   
   GUI gui = new GUI();
   stdout.printf("%d\n", gui.idade);
   return 0;
}

The HelloVala.vala is:

namespace Teste
{
    public class Person : Object
    {
        private int _age = 32;

        public int age
        {
            get { return _age; }
            set { _age = value; }
        }
    }
}

The Cagado.vala is:

using Teste;

namespace Cagado
{
    public class GUI : Object
    {
        Person _person = new Person();
        _person.age = 35;
        private int _idade;

        public int idade
        {
            get { return _idade; }
            set { _idade = value; }
        }
    }
}

When i compile this code, the compile gives me the message error:

Cagado.vala:9.15-9.15: error: syntax error, expected identifier
    _person.age = 35;
                ^

I program in C# and this not happened in C# oriented object system. Someone could explain this?

Answer 1

The problem is this:

public class GUI : Object
{
    Person _person = new Person();
    _person.age = 35; // <--
    ...

You can't put arbitrary code inside of the class itself, only declarations. What you need to do is something like

public class GUI : Objects
{
    Person _person = new Person();
    construct {
        _person.age = 35;
    }

You could also modify add a constructor to the Person class:

namespace Teste
{
    public class Person : Object
    {
        private int _age = 32;

        public int age
        {
            get { return _age; }
            set { _age = value; }
        }

        public Person(int age) {
            GLib.Object (age: age);
        }
    }
}

Then do

public class GUI : Object
{
    Person _person = new Person(35);