Object Oriented Specific Question

[rhaazy]

Why would I ever use an interface when I could use an abstract class?

Assuming the only limitation is only having one base class, would this
change assuming you could implement multiple inheritance (and
guarantee not creating ambiguity issues)?

Please share your thoughts or explain something to me if I seem to be
confused.

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

Re: Object Oriented Specific Question

Well, in .NET, the fact that you can have only one base class means that
you are better off (usually) using multiple interface implementations , as
you don't want to "burn the base class" (because the functionality that the
implementer wants to expose might be buried somewhere that is not accessible
to the abstract class or classes that derive from it).

If you could implement multiple inheritance, then it wouldn't be such an
issue, but whether or not it would be productive, or cause more problems
than it solves is a different conversation completely.

--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mvp@spam.guard. caspershouse.co m

"rhaazy" <rhaazy@gmail.c omwrote in message
news:dd609a33-a25c-40c0-b582-0c1db372472a@l6 4g2000hse.googl egroups.com...

Why would I ever use an interface when I could use an abstract class?
>
Assuming the only limitation is only having one base class, would this
change assuming you could implement multiple inheritance (and
guarantee not creating ambiguity issues)?
>
Please share your thoughts or explain something to me if I seem to be
confused.

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Re: Object Oriented Specific Question

rhaazy <rhaazy@gmail.c omwrote:

Why would I ever use an interface when I could use an abstract class?
>
Assuming the only limitation is only having one base class, would this
change assuming you could implement multiple inheritance (and
guarantee not creating ambiguity issues)?

That's not the only limitation, although it's a significant one. (C#
just *doesn't* support multiple base classes, and is unlikely to ever
do so). It's also easier to mock out interfaces than classes - it tends
to be better supported in tools.

--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
Web site: http://www.pobox.com/~skeet
Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon_skeet
C# in Depth: http://csharpindepth.com

[Chakravarthy]

Re: Object Oriented Specific Question

By this time, if you have understood the importance between abstract class
and interface, I don't have to throw light on them.

But, thought to place some code, so that it would be meaningful for you
understand how each will behave and their respective advantages.
---------------------------------------------------------
public interface TopInterface
{
void DoSome();
}
public abstract class TopAbsClass
{
public TopAbsClass()
{
cs.WriteLine("F rom Private Constructor..") ; // You have the
flexibility to embed your code here, which will execute every time the
inherited class initialized
}
public abstract void DoSomeWork();
}
public class FirstLevelInher itanceClass : TopAbsClass, TopInterface
{
public override void DoSomeWork() // this method is from Abstract
Class
{
Console.WriteLi ne("Printed from FirstLevelInher itanceClass -
DoSomeWork() Method is executed");
}
public void DoSome() // This method is from the interface
{
Console.WriteLi ne("Printed from FirstLevelInher itanceClass -
DoSome() Method is executed");
}
}
---------------------------------------------------------

It is recommended to use interfaces, only due to "no code but template".
Hope this helps you




"rhaazy" <rhaazy@gmail.c omwrote in message
news:dd609a33-a25c-40c0-b582-0c1db372472a@l6 4g2000hse.googl egroups.com...

Why would I ever use an interface when I could use an abstract class?
>
Assuming the only limitation is only having one base class, would this
change assuming you could implement multiple inheritance (and
guarantee not creating ambiguity issues)?
>
Please share your thoughts or explain something to me if I seem to be
confused.

[Pavel Minaev]

Re: Object Oriented Specific Question

On Jul 9, 9:46 pm, rhaazy <rha...@gmail.c omwrote:

Why would I ever use an interface when I could use an abstract class?
>
Assuming the only limitation is only having one base class, would this
change assuming you could implement multiple inheritance (and
guarantee not creating ambiguity issues)?

If you have a purely abstract class (one with all members abstract),
then there's no design difference from an interface (all limitations
of C# and .NET aside).

If you don't have a pure abstract class, and assuming that you would
have multiple inheritance with no restrictions, then it is still good
to remeber that implementation inheritance (= extending classes in C#)
is considered to be a much tighter coupling than contract inheritance
(= implementing interfaces in C#). This is described in more details
in a rather well-known "'extends' is evil" article here (written for
Java, but fully applicable to C# as well):

http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-08-2003/jw-0801-toolbox.html