Inheritance in C#

Inheritance allows you to create several classes that are distinct but share a common functionality. Specialized classes, called derived classes, inferit from a common class called the base class. A derived class is also said to extend a base class. The base class encapsulates the common functionality that will be present in each derived class, while the derived classes provide additional functionality specific to each class

• If you want to declare that a class derives from another class, use the following syntax: 

   class MyDerivedClass : MyBaseClass

   {

     //Function and data members here

   }

Example:

   class MyDerivedClass : MyBaseClass

   {

     //Function and data members here

   }

    public class MyBaseClass

    {

        public void Method()

        {

            Console.WriteLine("Inheritance in C#");

        }

    }

    public class MyDerivedClass : MyBaseClass

    {

        //implementation

    }

• This syntax is very similar to C++ and Java syntax. However, C++ programmers, who will be used to the concepts of public and private inheritance, should note that C# does not support private inheritance,hence the absence of a public or private qualifier on the base class name. Supporting private inheritance would have complicated the language for very little gain: In practice private inheritance is used extremely rarely in C++ anyway. 

• If a class  also derives from interfaces, then the list of base class and interfaces is separated by commas:

public class MyDerivedClass : MyBaseClass, Interface

{

  // etc.

}

• If you do not specify a base class in a class definition, the C# compiler will assume that System.Object  is the base class. Hence the following two pieces of code yield the same result: 

class MyClass : Object // derives from System.Object

{

     // etc.

}

And

class MyClass // derives from System.Object

{

   // etc.

}