I find the `CanBeParameter` inspection annoying. That’s the one that warns when you can remove `val`...

# intellij

[Miguel Vargas]

I find the CanBeParameter inspection annoying. That’s the one that warns when you can remove val from a constructor param. As I move code around in a class I’m having to arbitrarily change wether I need val or not. But as far as I can tell there is no benefit for private vals. Before I disable the inspection i’m wondering what am I missing?

[Emil Kantis]

The val must always be stored, whereas the non-val is just a parameter when constructing the instance and then discarded?

[Miguel Vargas]

Ok so maybe a slight memory advantage if the reference can be garbage collected. Not worth it in most cases then.

[Emil Kantis]

Also, you’re not bogging down your class with unnecessary stuff.. Keep stuff around (as `val`s) and someone will eventually start depending on that data being there 🙃

[Miguel Vargas]

I’m not talking about the public api. Just private vals.

[Emil Kantis]

Someone in this case might be someone else working in the same codebase, or you yourself a few months/years down the line 🙂

[Jacob]

Yup! the more vals and vars in scope, the more complex your code is. If a value is not needed after construction it shouldn't be available for your other class functions to access.

[Jacob]

Its a form of the law of demeter

[Miguel Vargas]

I’m really sceptical of the value of trying to limit a class’s access to code that is inside the class. Law of demeter talks about objects talking to other objects, not talking to itself.

[Miguel Vargas]

And its not like the object can’t access it, it’s that you can only access it in limited ways

class Foo (a: Int) {
  private val b = a // can access here
  private fun c() = a // cannot access here
}

Seems arbitrary. And no developer is going to be stopped from using a in fun c() they’ll just change a to val as soon as they need it.