Array class implementation in C#

Question

Going to the implementation details, I see the implementation of Array class as

public abstract class Array : ICloneable, IList, ICollection, IEnumerable, IStructuralComparable, IStructuralEquatable

Implementation of IList interface reads as

public interface IList : ICollection, IEnumerable

My question is, doesn't the Array class automatically implement ICollection and IEnumerable the moment it implements IList? Why are these implemented explicitly?

Though some of the methods of `ICollection`, `IList` and `IStructuralComparable` are implemented as explicit interface implementations, which is also documented on the MSDN page for the [`Array` class](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.array.aspx). — Oded, Feb 19 '13 at 10:47
@Oded, I checked this [link](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.array.aspx) for the explicit interface implementations. I see explicit implementations for `ICollection` interface only. `IEnumerable` doesn't have any. — TheSilverBullet, Feb 19 '13 at 11:35

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 10 '16 at 11:22

3

The implementation of Array is:

Array : ICloneable, IList, IStructuralComparable, IStructuralEquatable

Take a look on this source in here

Maybe you took a look on MSDN which just make document clearer.

edited Mar 10 '16 at 11:22

Ian Kemp

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answered Feb 19 '13 at 10:52

cuongle

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Thanks for the link to the source! – TheSilverBullet Feb 19 '13 at 11:17
So you mean to say that the reflector just get designed to show all the extra interfaces for readability? – TheSilverBullet Feb 19 '13 at 11:21
@TheSilverBullet: Yes, for more readability, on MSDN and even Object Browser, you has to look on the code to know correctly – cuongle Feb 19 '13 at 11:24

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 19 '13 at 10:54

interface I
{
    void M();
}

class A : I
{
    void I.M()
    {

    }
}

class B : A
{
    void I.M() // Compilation error
    {

    }
}

You are free to write I i = new B(), but you can't implement explicitly M in B. In order to do that, you need B to implement I explicitly:

class B : A, I
{
    void I.M() // Is ok now.
    {

    }
}

Array class implementation in C#

2 Answers2