Why is PERSON not a ref class???

Question

I don't understand why compiler thinks PERSON is NOT a ref class:

: error C2811: 'Runner' : cannot inherit from 'Person', a ref class can only inherit from a ref class or interface class

I tried....

1. adding mscorlib.dll to the header files: #using..etc...<> - didn't work.
2. making Person an abstract class - didn't work (Im glad since I imagined that to be a instantiatable?? class)

I list the two header files first. Then their cose is listed later if you need it.

PERSON.H

#pragma once
using namespace System;

ref class Person
{
private:
    void copy_ptr_data(Person%);
    void delete_ptr_data(void);
public:
    property String^ Name;
    property String^ Age;

    Person(String^ name, String^ age);
    Person(Person%);
    Person% operator= (Person%);
    bool operator==(Person%);
    bool operator!=(Person%);
    virtual ~Person(void); 
};

RUNNER.H

#pragma once
#include "Person.h"

using namespace System;

ref class Runner : public Person
{
private:
    void copy_ptr_data(Runner%);
    void delete_ptr_data(void);
public:
    property String^ Time;
    property String^ Rank;

    Runner(String^ name, String^ age, String^ time);
    Runner(Runner%);
    Runner% operator= (Runner%);
    bool operator==(Runner%);
    bool operator!=(Runner%);
    ~Runner(void);
};

PERSON.CPP

#include "StdAfx.h"
#include "Person.h"

Person::Person(String^ name, String^ age) 
{
    Name = name;
    Age = age; 
}

Person::Person(Person% p)
{
    Name = p.Name;
    Age = p.Age;

    copy_ptr_data(p);
}

Person% Person::operator= (Person% p)
{
    // prevent self-assignment
    if (this == %p) {
     return *this;
    }

    // deallocate/reallocate/assign dynamic memory
    delete_ptr_data();
    copy_ptr_data(p);

    // assign non-dynamic memory
    Name    = p.Name;
    Age  = p.Age;
    return *this;
}

bool Person::operator==(Person% p)
{
    if ((Name == p.Name) &&
     (Age == p.Age))
     return 1;

    return 0; 
}

bool Person::operator!=(Person% p)
{
return !(Person::operator==(p));
}

Person::~Person(void) 
{
    delete_ptr_data();
}

void Person::copy_ptr_data(Person% p)
{
    return;
}

void Person::delete_ptr_data()
{
    return;
}

RUNNER.CPP

#include "StdAfx.h"
#include "Runner.h"

Runner::Runner(String^ name, String^ age, String^ time) : Person(name, age)      
{
    Time = time;
    Rank = nullptr;  
}

Runner::Runner(Runner% r) : Person(r) 
{
    Time = r.Time;
    Time = r.Rank;

    copy_ptr_data(r);
}

Runner% Runner::operator= (Runner% r)
{ 
    // handle self assignment
    if (this == %r) return *this;

    // handle base class portion
    Person::operator=(r);      

    // handle dynamic portion
    delete_ptr_data();
    copy_ptr_data(r);

    // handle non-dynamic portion
    Time = r.Time;
    Rank    = r.Rank;

    return *this;
}

bool Runner::operator==(Runner% r)
{
    if ((Person::operator==(r)) &&
     (Time == r.Time)  &&
     (Rank == r.Rank))
     return 1;

    return 0; 
}

bool Runner::operator!=(Runner% r)
{
return !(Runner::operator==(r));
}

Runner::~Runner(void) 
{
}

void Runner::copy_ptr_data(Runner% r)
{
    return;
}


void Runner::delete_ptr_data()
{
    return;
}

Answer 1

Shouldn't you be putting:

#using <mscorlib.dll>

at the top of your header files? I'm not sure if that would fix the issue to be honest.

Try making your Person class abstract.