Question

I have two two types of base class;

public abstract class Base
{
    public abstract object Work();
}

public abstract class AuthenticatedBase : Base
{
    public abstract object Work(T request);
}

The authenticated class does some extra work to check a login beforehand. Then I have different classes extending from both base classes;

public class A : Base
{
    public override object Work()
    {
        // Work here
    }
}

public class B : AuthenticatedBase
{
    public override object Work(T request)
    {
        // Work here
    }
}

Basically, when I create a new class B that derives from AuthenticatedBase, Visual Studio says I need to implement Work() from the Base class even though I have an alternate implementation in AuthenticatedBase that I am overriding, admittedly with different parameters. What should I be doing so that I don’t have to implement the Work() method from the base class in inherited classes?

Answer 1

You have to implement it, there is no way around it. This is the case where multiple inheritance would come in handy.

You could use composition so that B has a reference to an A. Then B.Work() can call A.Work().

Alternatively, implement B.Work() so that it calls B.Work(T). Or even have Base.Work() be a virtual method with the base implementation from A.