Public class with internal abstract member

Question

We use DevExpress and with today release came a weird change to one of their printing class.

The class is named ClosedShapeBase and it is used to print out shape in a report.

The class itself is public, but some of its properties are protected internal abstract, like

public abstract class ClosedShapeBase : ShapeBase
{
    protected internal abstract PointF[] CreatePoints(RectangleF bounds, int angle);
}

Is there is any cryptic way to be able to override that member even if it is internal?

Answer 1

public class MyShape : ClosedShapeBase
{
    protected internal override PointF[] CreatePoints(RectangleF bounds, int angle)
    {
        ...
    }
}

You just have to respect the "protected internal" qualifier in the overridden class.

Answer 2

The "protected internal" just means that DevExpress's own code in their project can access it. For all purposes outside of that project (except for some magic in AssemblyInfo), it's the same as if it was only "protected". DevEx does that all over the place.

You don't need to maintain the "internal" in your own override:

public class Foo
    : ClosedShapeBase
{
    protected override ShapeBase CloneShape()
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

    protected override PointF[] CreatePoints(RectangleF bounds, int angle)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }

    protected override ILinesAdjuster GetLinesAdjuster()
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException();
    }
}

Answer 3

protected internal means that any subclass can access (in your case override) the member. The subclass can be located in any assembly. All classes of the assembly in which your baseclass is defined can also access the member.

Best Regards

Answer 4

protected internal does not mean protected and internal. It means protected OR internal. So you should be able to override that method in other places outside of the assembly where that ClosedShapeBase is defined.