Consider the hypothetical object hierarchy, starting with:
TFruit = class(TObject)
public
constructor Create(Color: TColor); virtual;
end;
and its descendant:
TApple = class(TFruit)
public
constructor Create(); overload; virtual;
constructor Create(Color: TColor); overload; override; //deprecated. Calls other constructor - maintaining the virtual constructor chain
end;
The idea here is that i've overridden the virtual constructor of the base class, with an overload that also happens to be virtual.
Delphi complains:
Method 'Create' hides virtual method of base type 'TFruit'
Except it doesn't hide it - it's right there!
- i overrode the virtual method in the ancestor, and
- i overloaded it with another version
What's the deal?
Two solutions:
type
TFruit = class(TObject)
public
constructor Create(Color: TColor); virtual;
end;
TApple = class(TFruit)
public
constructor Create(); reintroduce; overload;
constructor Create(Color: TColor); overload; override;
end;
Or:
type
TFruit = class(TObject)
public
constructor Create; overload; virtual; abstract;
constructor Create(Color: TColor); overload; virtual;
end;
TApple = class(TFruit)
public
constructor Create(); override;
constructor Create(Color: TColor); override;
end;
This appears to be a "which came first" sort of issue. (It appears NGLN found a solution.)
There's another solution, also. You can use a default parameter:
interface
type
TFruit=class(TObject)
public
constructor Create(Color: TColor); virtual;
end;
TApple=class(TFruit)
public
constructor Create(Color: TColor = clRed); override;
end;
implementation
{ TFruit }
constructor TFruit.Create(Color: TColor);
begin
inherited Create;
end;
{ TApple }
constructor TApple.Create(Color: TColor);
begin
inherited;
end;
// Test code
var
AppleOne, AppleTwo: TApple;
begin
AppleOne := TApple.Create;
AppleTwo := TApple.Create(clGreen);
end;