C# has syntax for declaring and using properties. For example, one can declare a simple property, like this:

public int Size { get; set; }

One can also put a bit of logic into the property, like this:

public string SizeHex
{
    get
    {
        return String.Format("{0:X}", Size);
    }
    set
    {
        Size = int.Parse(value, NumberStyles.HexNumber);
    }
}

Regardless of whether it has logic or not, a property is used in the same way as a field:

int fileSize = myFile.Size;

I'm no stranger to either Java or C# -- I've used both quite a lot and I've always missed having property syntax in Java. I've read in this question that "it's highly unlikely that property support will be added in Java 7 or perhaps ever", but frankly I find it too much work to dig around in discussions, forums, blogs, comments and JSRs to find out why.

So my question is: can anyone sum up why Java isn't likely to get property syntax?

• Is it because it's not deemed important enough when compared to other possible improvements?
• Are there technical (e.g. JVM-related) limitations?
• Is it a matter of politics? (e.g. "I've been coding in Java for 50 years now and I say we don't need no steenkin' properties!")
• Is it a case of bikeshedding?