I have the following class relationships
public interface ICapability
{
}
public interface IBaseService<T> where T : ICapability
{
}
public abstract class BaseService<out T> : IBaseService<T> where T : ICapability
{
// modified...
T MapEventToCapability(dynamic eventData, T capability);
}
public class SomeCapability : ICapability
{
}
public partial class Service1 : BaseService<SomeCapability>
{
public Service1()
{
}
}
public class ServiceResolver
{
public void Register(BaseService<ICapability> serviceToRegister)
{
}
}
I try to invoke the Register method, passing in a new service1 as shown:
var b = new ServiceResolver();
var c = new Service1();
b.Register(c);
However I get a compile time error on c in the call to Register as follows;
Cannot convert Service1 to BaseService<ICapability>
I assumed that because Service1 is of type BaseService and that since SomeCapability is of type ICapability that this wouldn't be an issue.
I tried casting to BaseService as well I tried changing the input parameter on Register to be an IBaseService and again casting but then I get a runtime error.
Note the question has been updated since this answer was posted - covariance is no longer an option having added a method which is incompatible
You'll need to do 2 things to make this work
Make Register take IBaseService<ICapability> not BaseService<ICapability>
Make IBaseService covariant by marking the generic type as out - this is the same as the reason you can pass a List<Foo> to a merthod which expects an IEnumerable<Foo> as IEnumerable<T> is covariant in a similar manner.
public class ServiceResolver
{
public void Register(IBaseService<ICapability> serviceToRegister)
{
}
}
and
public interface IBaseService<out T>
where T : ICapability
{
}
Live example: https://dotnetfiddle.net/O0yXa5
Related
Given a set of services that each implement a generic interface where the type parameters all have a common base, how can I write a factory method to return an instance of one of these services? There seems to be no way to write a return type for the factory method.
Here is the sample code, with the problematic method at the bottom:
public abstract class Base
{
public int BaseProp { get; set; }
}
public class Derived1 : Base
{
public int DerivedProp1 { get; set; }
}
public class Derived2 : Base
{
public int DerivedProp2 { get; set; }
}
public interface IHandleStuff<T> where T : Base
{
T GetStuff();
void DoStuff(T t);
}
public class Service1 : IHandleStuff<Derived1>
{
public Derived1 GetStuff() => new();
public void DoStuff(Derived1 t){}
}
public class Service2 : IHandleStuff<Derived2>
{
public Derived2 GetStuff() => new();
public void DoStuff(Derived2 t){}
}
public class Consumer
{
public void DoStuff(Base t)
{
var service = GetServiceFor(t);
service.DoStuff(t);
}
private IHandleStuff<Base> GetServiceFor(Base t)
{
return t.BaseProp switch
{
1 => new Service1(), // Cannot convert expression type 'Service1' to return type 'IHandleStuff<Base>'
2 => new Service2(), // An explicit cast to IHandleStuff<Base> compiles but fails at runtime
_ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException()
};
}
}
Update:
Someone pointed out in a comment (now deleted) that the issue in the above code can be resolved by making the DoStuff and GetServiceFor methods in the Consumer class generic. This works, but at some point in the real code we have to call into this from a non-generic method which knows only the base type. So the suggestion only defers the problem.
This is probably a classic covariance/contravariance question, it looks like it should work but I'm probably missing a trick.
I'm attempting to return a less derived type from a factory method, but I find that I cannot cast the more specialized concrete instance to a less derived base type.
public class AnimalSettings { ... }
public class CatSettings : AnimalSettings { ... }
public interface IAnimalService<TSettings> { ... }
public abstract AnimalService<TSettings> : IAnimalService<TSettings> where TSettings : AnimalSettings { ... }
public class CatService : AnimalService<CatSettings> { ... }
Then, in a factory method I have:
public static IAnimalService<AnimalSettings> GetAnimalService(AnimalType selector)
{
switch (selector)
{
case AnimalType.Cat:
return (IAnimalService<AnimalSettings>) new CatService();
break;
}
}
and the intention is to be able to do the following:
var service = MyServiceFactory.GetAnimalService(AnimalType.Cat);
service.DoAnimalBehavior();
This compiles fine, but at runtime my code is failing in the attempted cast return (IAnimalService<AnimalSettings>) new CatService();, with an InvalidCastException.
How should I be casting my more derived type to a less derived type so that callers can use that interfaced base type to invoke functionality?
Changing the cast to (IAnimalservice<CatSettings>) new CatService() does work, but it's intended that the caller receives a IAnimalservice<AnimalSettings> so that it can handle any sort of animal (In other words, the caller should not be using any of the more specialized types). Should I be specifying an in or out as part of the generic definition somewhere?
By giving a complete example it would be much easier to help. ;-)
So here is the working code. And as Sweeper already mentioned, you need to add the out parameter at the interface to make it work.
using System;
public class Program
{
public static void Main()
{
var catService = new CatService(new CatSettings());
var genericService = (IAnimalService<AnimalSettings>)catService;
genericService.DoAnimalBehavior();
}
}
public abstract class AnimalSettings
{
public abstract void DoAnimalBehavior();
}
public class CatSettings : AnimalSettings
{
public override void DoAnimalBehavior()
{
Console.WriteLine("Meeoh");
}
}
public interface IAnimalService<out TSettings>
{
void DoAnimalBehavior();
}
public abstract class AnimalService<TSettings> : IAnimalService<TSettings> where TSettings : AnimalSettings
{
private readonly TSettings _settings;
public AnimalService(TSettings settings)
{
_settings = settings;
}
public void DoAnimalBehavior()
{
_settings.DoAnimalBehavior();
}
}
public class CatService : AnimalService<CatSettings>
{
private readonly CatSettings _catSettings;
public CatService(CatSettings catSettings)
: base(catSettings)
{
_catSettings = catSettings;
}
}
I was using generic types in C# and I am new to using generic types. So, right now I am stuck with a problem. I have some classes like these:
public class MyModel1
{
}
public class MyModel2
{
}
public class BaseClass<T>
{
}
public class ChildClass1 : BaseClass<MyModel1>
{
}
public class ChildClass2 : BaseClass<MyModel2>
{
}
public class AnotherClass
{
//What will be the syntax of declaring this method
//The syntax of the following method is wrong and incomplete.
//It's there just to give an idea about whai i want to do.
public void MyMethod<T>()
where T : BaseClass<..what to write..>
{
}
}
My question is what will be the correct syntax of declaring MyMethod if I want to call MyMethod like this:
MyMethod<ChildClass1>();
If I understood correctly, you try to filter "MyMethod" so that T is a class of type "ChildClass ...".
You can add a generic parameter to your function like this:
public void MyMethod<T, U>()
where T : BaseClass<U>
{
}
But then you have to call MyMethod in that way.
MyMethod<ChildClass1, MyModel1>();
So it's quite complicated to use.
Another solution is to create a new "blank" class :
public abstract class Base // mark it as abstract if you don't need to use it in your code
{
}
public class MyModel1
{
}
public class MyModel2
{
}
public class BaseClass<T> : Base //The class inherits the new class
{
}
public class ChildClass1 : BaseClass<MyModel1>
{
}
public class ChildClass2 : BaseClass<MyModel2>
{
}
public class AnotherClass
{
public void MyMethod<T>()
where T : Base
{
}
}
You've forgotten to mention the return type and adding <T> after the class name. For example, if the return type is void, you could declare the method as:
public void MyMethod<T>()
where T : BaseClass<T>
{
}
This will work (by which I mean it compiles)
public void MyMethod<T>()
where T : BaseClass<MyModel1>
{ }
so does this:
public void MyMethod<T>()
where T : ChildClass1
{ }
Further edit after reading your comment...
You can do this:
public class AnotherClass<TBaseClass, TModel> where TBaseClass : BaseClass<TModel>
{
public void MyMethod(TBaseClass input)
{ }
}
I have a term for this, hopefully non-offensive. I call it The Generic Rabbit Hole of Madness. It's what happens when we try to combine generics and inheritance so that one set of classes can accomplish a broad set of goals that become increasingly confusing, and we solve it by adding more generic parameters and more generic classes.
You reach the bottom of the hole if you
- use <dynamic>
- check to see what the actual type is using GetType(), typeof, or is
- get it to compile but can't remember what it's supposed to do
I'm with problems to convert from the type derived to base type using Generics.
Class to manage the dictionary:
public class ManagerDictionary<TContext>
{
public ManagerDictionary()
{
this.Dictionary = new Dictionary<int, TContext>();
}
public IDictionary<int, TContext> Dictionary { get; private set; }
public void Register<TSubContext>(int context, TSubContext subContext) where TSubContext : TContext
{
this.Dictionary[context] = subContext;
}
}
Interface of the Process context:
public interface IProcessContext : IContext<ProcessViewModel>
{
}
My test class:
public class Foo<TViewModelContext> where TViewModelContext : ViewModeBase
{
public Foo(IProcessContext processContext)
{
// Create de Dictionary Manager.
this.ManagerDictionary = new ManagerDictionary<IContext<TViewModelContext>>();
// Register the process context on dictionary.
// The error is occurring here: The is no implicit reference conversion from 'IProcessContext' to 'IContext<TViewModelContext>'
this.ManagerDictionary.Register((int)ContextType.Process, processContext);
}
protected ManagerDictionary<IContext<TViewModelContext>> ManagerDictionary { get; set; }
}
When I try register the processContext, the problem occurs:
The is no implicit reference conversion from 'IProcessContext' to
IContext<TViewModelContext>
How can I resolve this problem?
Edit:
When I Create a inherited class of the Foo, I can register, but I need register on Foo class too.
public interface IAnotherProcessContext : IContext<ProcessTwoViewModel>
{
}
public class InheritedFoo : Foo<ProcessTwoViewModel>
{
public InheritedFoo(IAnotherProcessContext anotherProcessContext)
{
base.ManagerDictionary.Register((int)ContextType.InheritedProcess, anotherProcessContext);
}
}
You're trying to treat IContext<T> as if it's covariant with respect to T, but that interface isn't defined as being covariant.
Either make the interface be covariant, or alter your program such that you never expect an IContext<Child> to be implicitly convertible to an IContext<Parent>.
I have the following and at some point I need to create Failures for Validations. We suppose each type deriving from Validation has one and only one type deriving from Failure<T> where T is the aforementioned implementation of Validation.
As I have a growing number of implementations of Validation, I need to be able to instantiate the right type deriving from Failure<T>, and call the link method on it within a method that looks like
void recordFailureForValidation(Validation v) {
Type failureType = dict[v.GetType()];
Object failure = Activator.CreateInstance(failureType);
// how do I call failure.link(v) ?
}
At Runtime, a dictionary gives me the type deriving from Failure<T> given T.
I am able to instantiate Failure<T> (Failure1, Failure2, etc...), but I can't find how to call link on the public field reference of my newly created Failure instance (by making all uses that made sense to me of GetMethod, MakeGenericMethod, Invoke, etc...)
public class MyReferenceClass<T>
where T : Object, new() {
public void link(T arg) { ... }
}
public abstract class Failure<T>
where T : ValidationRule, new() {
...
public MyReferenceClass<T> reference;
...
}
public class Failure1 : Failure<Validation1> {
}
public class Failure2 : Failure<Validation2> {
}
public abstract class ValidationRule {
...
}
public class ValidationRule1 : ValidationRule {
...
}
public class ValidationRule2 : ValidationRule {
...
}
link is private since you do not specify a different accessibility. Make it public or internal:
public class MyReferenceClass<T>
where T : Object, new() {
public void link(T arg) { ... }
}
then you can call it from Failure<T> through the reference property:
public abstract class Failure<T>
where T : ValidationRule, new()
{
protected T Validation {get; set;};
public MyReferenceClass<T> reference;
}
public class Failure1 : Failure<Validation1>
{
public void Test()
{
this.reference.link(Validation);
}
}
Let Failures implement a non generic IFailure interface as well as a generic one in the same manner as IEnumerable and IEnumerable<T>
Create an abstract factory method within ValidationRule that has to be implemented by each concrete Validation
public ValidationRule1 : ValidationRule
{
public override IFailure ToFailure()
{
return new Failure1(this);
}
...
}