Convert derived class to base class

Question

I'm trying to refresh my memory but can't find answers with Google.

public class BaseClass
{
    public virtual void DoSomething()
    {
        Trace.Write("base class");
    }
}

public class DerivedClass : BaseClass
{
    public override void DoSomething()
    {
        Trace.Write("derived class");
    }
}

If I create an instance of derived class, how do I convert it to it's base class so that when DoSomething() is called, it uses the base class's method only?

A dynamic cast still calls the derived class's overridden method:

DerivedClass dc = new DerivedClass();

dc.DoSomething();

(dc as BaseClass).DoSomething();

Output: "derived class"

Answer 1

Although this sounds irrational but it works

 DerivedClass B = new DerivedClass();

BaseClass bc = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<BaseClass>(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(B));

Answer 2

You can't - that's entirely deliberate, as that's what polymorphism is all about. Suppose you have a derived class which enforces certain preconditions on the arguments you pass to an overridden method, in order to maintain integrity... you don't want to be able to bypass that validation and corrupt its internal integrity.

Within the class itself you can non-virtually call base.AnyMethod() (whether that's the method you're overriding or not) but that's okay because that's the class itself deciding to potentially allow its integrity to be violated - presumably it knows what it's doing.

Answer 3

You absolutely CAN (call the base method), just read up on Polymorphism:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/programming-guide/classes-and-structs/polymorphism

Example:

public class BaseClass
{
    public void DoWork() { }
    public int WorkField;
    public int WorkProperty
    {
        get { return 0; }
    }
}

public class DerivedClass : BaseClass
{
    public new void DoWork() { }
    public new int WorkField;
    public new int WorkProperty
    {
        get { return 0; }
    }
}

And how to call it:

DerivedClass B = new DerivedClass();
B.DoWork();  // This calls the new method.

BaseClass A = (BaseClass)B;
A.DoWork();  // This calls the old method.

Answer 4

Try using the new keywor instead of override As far as i know this should enable that desired behavior. I'm not realy sure about that so please don't blame me if i'm wrong!

public class BaseClass
{
    public virtual void DoSomething()
    {
        Trace.Write("base class");
    }
}

public class DerivedClass : BaseClass
{
    public new void DoSomething()
    {
        Trace.Write("derived class");
    }
}

Answer 5

The solutions with new instead of override break the polymorphism. Recently I came to the same problem and implemented it the following way. My solution has the following advantages:

• virtual and override stays in place;
• name BaseClass is not used directly in the type cast, so if I introduce an intermediate MiddleClass in the hierarchy between BaseClass and DerivedClass, which also implements DoSomething(); then the MiddleClass's implementation won't be skipped.

This is the implementation:

public class BaseClass
{
    public virtual void DoSomething()
    {
        Trace.Write("base class");
    }
}

public class DerivedClass : BaseClass
{
    public override void DoSomething()
    {
        Trace.Write("derived class");
    }

    public void BaseDoSomething()
    {
        base.DoSomething();
    }
}

The usage is:

    DerivedClass dc = new DerivedClass();

    dc.DoSomething();

    dc.BaseDoSomething();

Answer 6

For VB.net, I've used the following code to do the conversion (shown with Lists of Objects):

        Dim tempPartialList As New List(Of clsBaseData)

        For Each iterClsDerivedData As clsDerivedData In ListOfDerivedDataObjects
            tempPartialList.Add(CType(iterClsDerivedData, clsBaseData))
        Next

Where clsBaseData is the Base Class from which clsDerivedData is made by Inheriting clsBaseData.

ListOfDerivedDataObjects is a List(Of clsDerivedData).

I have found this useful where I have Lists of several Derived Classes and I would like to operate on a property of the Base Class for all the objects in the Lists of Derived Classes. The tempPartialList is, for me, a temporary List meant to facilitate changing this property.