Attributes in IDL Interface Definitions

• Conceptually, attributes correspond to variables that an object implements.
• Attributes indicate that these variables are available in an object and that clients can read or write their values.
• In general, attributes map to a pair of functions in the programming language used to implement the object. These functions allow client applications to read or write the attribute values.
• However, if an attribute is preceded by the keyword readonly, then clients can only read the attribute value.

  For example, the Account interface defines the attributes balance and owner.

  These attributes represent information about the account which the object implementation can set, but which client applications can only read.