One Class with two different Namespaces?

Question

Is something like this possible?

Namespace Transaction, Document

    Class Signer

        Public Sub New()
            'Do Work
        End Sub

    End Class

End Namespace

I basically want to be able to instantiate the Signer class from either Namespace. The reason is that I mistakenly set it up in the Transaction class and need to migrate it over to the Document class without breaking existing legacy code. I'd prefer to not have the same Signer class duplicated in both Namespaces if possible.

Answer 1

I don't think you can do that. However, you CAN define the object in one namespace and then make a class of the same name in the other namespace that simply inherits the first class, like so:

Namespace Transaction
    Class Signer
        ' Signer class implementation
    End Class
End Namespace

Namespace Document
    Class Signer
        Inherits Transaction.Signer
    End Class
End Namespace

Answer 2

A class can only belong to one namespace. The only other thing you can do is duplicate that class in another namespace. You should be able to refactor that code and change the namespace, visual studio will propogate those changes throughout your code.

Answer 3

What you need to do is create the class in separate namespaces so that you actually have two different classes declared. Mark the one in the Transaction namespace as obsolete and have it act as a proxy to the real class that way you do not duplicate the implementation.

Namespace Transaction

  <Obsolete> _
  Public Class Signer

    Private m_Implementation As Document.Signer

    Public Sub New()
      m_Implementation = new Document.Signer()
    End

    Public Sub DoSomething()
      m_Implementation.DoSomething()
    End Sub

  End Class

End Namespace

Namespace Document

  Public Class Signer

    Public Sub New()

    End

   Public Sub DoSomething()

   End Sub

  End Class

End Namespace