what function does the 'where' keyword have in this abstract class declaration?

[hazz]

public abstract class FormShellApplication<TWorkItem, TShell> : WindowsFormsApplication<TWorkItem, TShell>
where TWorkItem : WorkItem, new()
where TShell : Form

thank you,
-hazz

[Anders Norås]

> public abstract class FormShellApplication<TWorkItem, TShell> :

WindowsFormsApplication<TWorkItem, TShell>
where TWorkItem : WorkItem, new()
where TShell : Form

The where keyword is used to apply restrictions to the kinds of types that
client code can use for type arguments when it instantiates a class. In the
your example the "TWorkItem : WorkItem, new()" constraint restricts the TWorkItem
generic parameter to inherit from the WorkItem class and have a default,
parameterless constructor. The "where TShell : Form" constraint restricts
the TShell generic parameter to inherit from the Form class.

Anders Norås
http://dotnetjunkies.com/weblog/anoras/

[Daniel O'Connell [C# MVP]]

It constrains the generic parameters to specific types. TWorkItem, for
example, must derive from the calss WorkItem and provide a parameterless
constructor and TShell must derive from the class Form
"hazz" <hazz@sonic_net> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
public abstract class FormShellApplication<TWorkItem, TShell> :
WindowsFormsApplication<TWorkItem, TShell>
where TWorkItem : WorkItem, new()
where TShell : Form

thank you,
-hazz

[hazz]

I see. So this works hand in hand with generics then, if I understand this
correctly now.

Thank you Daniel.
-Greg

"Daniel O'Connell [C# MVP]" <[e-mail]> wrote in
message news:eh*************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

It constrains the generic parameters to specific types. TWorkItem, for
example, must derive from the calss WorkItem and provide a parameterless
constructor and TShell must derive from the class Form
"hazz" <hazz@sonic_net> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
public abstract class FormShellApplication<TWorkItem, TShell> :
WindowsFormsApplication<TWorkItem, TShell>
where TWorkItem : WorkItem, new()
where TShell : Form

thank you,
-hazz

[hazz]

Thank you Anders.
Since generics allow any object...if that is a correct statement, then the
where statements are a way of specifying that in this case, only certain
objects will work and are allowed.

-hazz

"Anders Norås" <an**********@objectware.no> wrote in message
news:66*************************@news.microsoft.co m...

public abstract class FormShellApplication<TWorkItem, TShell> :
WindowsFormsApplication<TWorkItem, TShell>
where TWorkItem : WorkItem, new()
where TShell : Form

The where keyword is used to apply restrictions to the kinds of types that
client code can use for type arguments when it instantiates a class. In
the your example the "TWorkItem : WorkItem, new()" constraint restricts
the TWorkItem generic parameter to inherit from the WorkItem class and
have a default, parameterless constructor. The "where TShell : Form"
constraint restricts the TShell generic parameter to inherit from the Form
class.

Anders Norås
http://dotnetjunkies.com/weblog/anoras/