FPC 3.0.4 compiles this code excerpt without a murmur: == code == {$mode objfpc}{$H+} type TSheetInfo = record name: String; tab: String; title: String; kind: TSheetKind; // an enumeration color: TColor; end; TBaseSheet = class(TTabSheet) protected FSheetInfo: TSheetInfo; ... public constructor Create(aComponent: TComponent; aSheetInfo: TSheetInfo); virtual; reintroduce; ... property SheetKind: TSheetKind read FSheetInfo.kind; // << end; TEntryGrid = class(TCustomStringGrid) private FParentSheet: TBaseSheet; ... public constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent; aParentSheet: TBaseSheet); reintroduce; ... property SheetKind: TSheetKind read FParentSheet.FSheetInfo.kind; // << end; == code end == However, more recent FPCs (and trunk) reject this at the properties (marked above <<) with the error "Record or object type expected". Is there a modeswitch or other wheeze that will get recent FPCs to accept dotted notation when specifying property read and write fields?

Howard Page-Clark via fpc-pascal < > schrieb am Mo., 3. Feb. 2020, 11:22: FPC 3.0.4 compiles this code excerpt without a murmur: == code == {$mode objfpc}{$H+} type    TSheetInfo = record      name: String;      tab: String;      title: String;      kind: TSheetKind; // an enumeration      color: TColor;    end;    TBaseSheet = class(TTabSheet)    protected      FSheetInfo:      TSheetInfo;      ...    public      constructor Create(aComponent: TComponent; aSheetInfo: TSheetInfo); virtual; reintroduce;      ...      property SheetKind: TSheetKind read FSheetInfo.kind; // <<    end;    TEntryGrid = class(TCustomStringGrid)    private      FParentSheet: TBaseSheet;      ...    public      constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent; aParentSheet: TBaseSheet); reintroduce;      ...      property SheetKind: TSheetKind read FParentSheet.FSheetInfo.kind; // <<    end; == code end == However, more recent FPCs (and trunk) reject this at the properties (marked above <<) with the error "Record or object type expected". Is there a modeswitch or other wheeze that will get recent FPCs to accept dotted notation when specifying property read and write fields? This is simply not allowed for class fields. That it was, was essentially a bug ( https://wiki.freepascal.org/User_Changes_Trunk#Property_field_access_lists_no_longer_allows_classes ). Either use records or (TP style) objects or use a getter. If you declare it as "inline" you can essentially get the same code (with the added bonus that you can raise an exception should the field be Nil). Regards, Sven