[Solved] can you have a generic class with generic properties

You can declare a class as being dynamic by adding (Of TBase) after the class declaration (You can use any name instead of TBase - that is just my usual)

for example:-

Public Declare Class Handful(Of TBase)

End Class

Now - if you want to have a property whose type comes from that generic you declare it using TBase as its type e.g.

Public Declare Class Handful(Of TBase)

   Public Property Thumb() As TBase 

End Class

Now you can declare instances of the generic class by specifying the specific type to use and it will enforce the type-safe coding you would expect. e,g,

Dim MyVar As New Handful(Of Integer)

MyVar.Thumb = 1

Dim MyOtherVar As Handful(Of String)

MyOtherVar.Thumb = "First Digit"

Please see my comment to the question.

Formally speaking, there are no generic properties; and I don't see how they can make any sense. I'm not sure that you are not confusing two different things, such as generic properties and properties of generic-parameter type. The properties of generic-parameter type makes perfect sense:

class MyClass<T> {
   internal T MyProperty { get; set; }
   internal static void DoSomething<T2>(T2 myParameter) { /* ... */ }
   // note: T2 has nothing to do with generic class parameter T
}

//...

MyClass<string> myInstance = new MyClass<string>();
myInstance.MyProperty = "some string";
myInstance.DoSomething<int>(42);

MyClass<int> myOtherInstance = new MyClass<int>();
myOtherInstance.MyProperty = 13;

Property does not have the same semantics as function, to be generic. Why do you think I made an example generic function static? Yes, it could be an instance function, but what would it do? It would make some sense if it did something to the class instance, but the trouble is: the class instance has no "knowledge" of T2. T and T2 are unrelated.

[EDIT]

Why not generic properties? Because there is noting to do with generic parameters. What is property of type T? This is, essentially, a couple of function, getter returning T, and setter accepting T, plus, for instance properties, "this", a reference to the instance. There is no a room to use any other type.

[END EDIT]

If this explanation does not clear the subject for you, you have to explain your idea behind those non-existing "generic properties".

—SA