Question

Microsoft .NET documentation for the System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase class constructor says:

If you override the base class constructor, you should explicitly call
it in the constructor of your derived class.

In Using Constructors in the Microsoft C# Programming Guide, it says:

In a derived class, if a base-class constructor is not called
explicitly by using the base keyword, the default constructor, if
there is one, is called implicitly.

So do I need to call the base constructor explicitly or not, and why?

Answer 1

It doesn’t matter. These compile to the same IL:

public class Service1 : ServiceBase
{
    public Service1() : base() { }
}
public class Service1 : ServiceBase
{
    public Service1() { }
}

I don’t know why ServiceBase recommends explicitly calling it. I’d go with the other suggestion, since it seems to make more sense.