How can I express that an argument needs to implement multiple interfaces in C#

Question

Similiar to this question: How can I require a method argument to implement multiple interfaces? I want a method argument to implement several interfaces.

The interfaces shall be combinable in arbitrary fashion and I don't want to create an interface for each valid combination.

Think of a file. It can be:

1. readable => IReadable
2. writeable => IWriteable
3. an archive => IArchive
4. automatically generated => IGenerated

...

If I want to express that an argument needs to be an writable, generated archive I don't want to generate IWritableGeneratedArchive since there are too combinations and I want to use it with some existing classes I cannot modify.

Pseudocode:

void WriteTo( IWritable + IGenerated + IArchive file)
{
   //...
}

Answer 1

The solution I found here: How can I require a method argument to implement multiple interfaces? adjusted for C#.

Credits go to Michael Myers

internal interface IF1
{
    void M1();
}

internal interface IF2
{
    void M2();
}

internal class ClassImplementingIF1IF2 : IF1, IF2
{

    public void M1()
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

    public void M2()
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

}

internal static class Test
{

    public static void doIT<T>(T t) where T:IF1,IF2
    {
        t.M1();
        t.M2();
    }

    public static void test()
    {
        var c = new ClassImplementingIF1IF2();
        doIT(c);
    }
}

Answer 2

A generic + constraint perhaps?

void WriteTo<T>( T file) where T : IWritable,IGenerated,IArchive
{
   //...
}

Answer 3

Use generic constraints:

void WriteTo<T>(T file) where T: IWritable, IGenerated, IArchive
{
   //...
}

See Constraints on Type Parameters (C# Programming Guide)

Answer 4

I don't want to generate IWritableGeneratedArchive since there are too combinations

How are there too many combinations? Whatever number of potential combinations there are, you only need to make a combined interface for the ones you actually use as a method parameter, and at that point you're writing it all out anyway. In other words, it's actually not that much more work.

I want to use it with some existing classes I cannot modify.

An IWritableGeneratedArchive type can be passed to something that only wants an IArchive or IWritable. This would still work with anything else you already have.

---

But since you've already decided against this and it looks like you already invested a lot in this architecture, I wonder if you've seen Code Contracts. They look like they might do what you need.

Answer 5

This solution tries to incorporate supercat's idea with storing such "multi interface" objects.

I've done this by storing them in a Holder class that exposes the stated interfaces of the object.

Holder objects can be stored and are the expected argument. The downside is that you have to create the Holder first and that the order of Holder's type arguments matters.

On the plus side though you can also dynamically create Holders and of course store "multi interface" objects.

It would have been nice to enable the holder.Get<T>() methods (nicer than holder.t1) but it won't compile. Maybe someone has an idea how to fix it? I think it needs to add the constraint T1 is not T2 and vice versa. This seams to be related to C# generic does *not* implement something and they didn't find a solution.

internal interface IF1
{
    void M1();
}

internal interface IF1_extension : IF1
{
}

internal interface IF2
{
    void M2();
}

internal class ClassImplementingIF1IF2 : IF1_extension, IF2
{

    public void M1()
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

    public void M2()
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

}

internal interface Getter<T> where T : class
{
    T Get();
}

internal class Holder<T1, T2> //: Getter<T1>, Getter<T2> // not possible since T1 and T2 may be the same => won't compile!
    where T1 : class
    where T2 : class
{
    private Holder(T1 t1, T2 t2)
    {
        Debug.Assert(t1 != null, "Argument is no " + typeof(T1).Name);
        Debug.Assert(t2 != null, "Argument is no " + typeof(T2).Name);
        this.t1 = t1;
        this.t2 = t2;
    }

    public static Holder<T1, T2> CreateFrom<T>(T t) where T : T1, T2
    {
        return new Holder<T1, T2>(t, t);
    }
    public static Holder<T1, T2> CreateDynamicallyFrom(object t)
    {
        return new Holder<T1, T2>(t as T1, t as T2);
    }

    public readonly T1 t1;
    public readonly T2 t2;

    //T1 Getter<T1>.Get()
    //{
    //    return t1;
    //}
    //T2 Getter<T2>.Get()
    //{
    //    return t2;
    //}
}

internal class Holder<T1, T2, T3>  // Holder<T1,T2,T3,T4> etc. are defined in a similar way
    where T1 : class
    where T2 : class
    where T3 : class
{
    private Holder(T1 t1, T2 t2, T3 t3)
    {
        Debug.Assert(t1 != null, "Argument is no " + typeof(T1).Name);
        Debug.Assert(t2 != null, "Argument is no " + typeof(T2).Name);
        Debug.Assert(t3 != null, "Argument is no " + typeof(T3).Name);
        this.t1 = t1;
        this.t2 = t2;
        this.t3 = t3;
    }

    public static Holder<T1, T2,T3> CreateFrom<T>(T t) where T : T1, T2, T3
    {
        return new Holder<T1, T2, T3>(t, t, t);
    }
    public static Holder<T1, T2, T3> CreateDynamicallyFrom(object t)
    {
        return new Holder<T1, T2, T3>(t as T1, t as T2, t as T3);
    }

    public readonly T1 t1;
    public readonly T2 t2;
    public readonly T3 t3;

}


internal static class Test
{

    public static void doIt<T>(T t) where T : IF1, IF2
    {
        t.M1();
        t.M2();
    }

    public static void doIt(Holder<IF1, IF2> t) // Interfaces should be mentioned in alpahbetical order since Holder<IF1,IF2> != Holder<IF2,IF1>
    {
        t.t1.M1();
        t.t2.M2();
    }


    public static void doIt_extended<T1, T2>(Holder<T1, T2> t) // handles conversions from Holder<T1,T2> to Holder<T1 or base of T1, T2 or base of T2>
        where T1 : class, IF1
        where T2 : class, IF2
    {
        t.t1.M1();
        t.t2.M2();
    }

    public static void test()
    {
        var c = new ClassImplementingIF1IF2();
        doIt(c);
        var c_holder = Holder<IF1, IF2>.CreateFrom(c);
        doIt(c_holder);

        var another_c_holder = Holder<IF1_extension, IF2>.CreateFrom(c);
        doIt_extended(another_c_holder);


        object diguised_c = c;
        var disguised_c_holder = Holder<IF1, IF2>.CreateDynamicallyFrom(diguised_c);
        doIt(disguised_c_holder);

    }
}