How do I use composition with inheritance?

Question

I'm going to try to ask my question in the context of a simple example...

Let's say I have an abstract base class Car. Car has-a basic Engine object. I have a method StartEngine() in the abstract Car class that delegates the starting of the engine to the Engine object.

How do I allow subclasses of Car (like Ferrari) to declare the Engine object as a specific type of engine (e.g., TurboEngine)? Do I need another Car class (TurboCar)?

I'm inheriting a plain old Engine object and I cannot re-declare (or override) it as a TurboEngine in my Car subclasses.

EDIT: I understand that I can plug any subclass of Engine into myEngine reference within my Ferrari class...but how can I call methods that only the TurboEngine exposes? Because myEngine is inherited as a base Engine, none of the turbo stuff is included.

Thanks!

Answer 1

The Abstract Factory pattern is precisely for this problem. Google GoF Abstract Factory {your preferred language}

In the following, note how you can either use the concrete factories to produce "complete" objects (enzo, civic) or you can use them to produce "families" of related objects (CarbonFrame + TurboEngine, WeakFrame + WeakEngine). Ultimately, you always end up with a Car object that responds to accelerate() with type-specific behavior.

---

     using System;


    abstract class CarFactory
    {
        public static CarFactory FactoryFor(string manufacturer){
            switch(manufacturer){
                case "Ferrari" : return new FerrariFactory();
                case "Honda" : return new HondaFactory();
                default:
                    throw new ArgumentException("Unknown car manufacturer. Please bailout industry.");
            }
        }

        public abstract Car createCar();
        public abstract Engine createEngine();
        public abstract Frame createFrame();

    }

    class FerrariFactory : CarFactory
    {
        public override Car createCar()
        {
            return new Ferrari(createEngine(), createFrame());
        }

        public override Engine createEngine()
        {
            return new TurboEngine();
        }

        public override Frame createFrame()
        {
            return new CarbonFrame();
        }
    }

    class HondaFactory : CarFactory
    {
        public override Car createCar()
        {
            return new Honda(createEngine(), createFrame());
        }

        public override Engine createEngine()
        {
            return new WeakEngine();
        }

        public override Frame createFrame()
        {
            return new WeakFrame();
        }
    }

    abstract class Car
    {
        private Engine engine;
        private Frame frame;

        public Car(Engine engine, Frame frame)
        {
            this.engine = engine;
            this.frame = frame;
        }

        public void accelerate()
        {
            engine.setThrottle(1.0f);
            frame.respondToSpeed();
        }

    }

    class Ferrari : Car
    {
        public Ferrari(Engine engine, Frame frame) : base(engine, frame)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Setting sticker price to $250K");
        }
    }

    class Honda : Car
    {
        public Honda(Engine engine, Frame frame) : base(engine, frame)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Setting sticker price to $25K");
        }
    }

    class KitCar : Car
    {
        public KitCar(String name, Engine engine, Frame frame)
            : base(engine, frame)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Going out in the garage and building myself a " + name);
        }
    }

    abstract class Engine
    {
        public void setThrottle(float percent)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Stomping on accelerator!");
            typeSpecificAcceleration();
        }

        protected abstract void typeSpecificAcceleration();
    }

    class TurboEngine : Engine
    {
        protected override void typeSpecificAcceleration()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Activating turbo");
            Console.WriteLine("Making noise like Barry White gargling wasps");
        }
    }

    class WeakEngine : Engine
    {
        protected override void typeSpecificAcceleration()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Provoking hamster to run faster");
            Console.WriteLine("Whining like a dentist's drill");
        }
    }

    abstract class Frame
    {
        public abstract void respondToSpeed();
    }

    class CarbonFrame : Frame
    {
        public override void respondToSpeed()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Activating active suspension and extending spoilers");
        }
    }

    class WeakFrame : Frame
    {
        public override void respondToSpeed()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Loosening bolts and vibrating");
        }
    }

    class TestClass
    {
        public static void Main()
        {
            CarFactory ferrariFactory = CarFactory.FactoryFor("Ferrari");
            Car enzo = ferrariFactory.createCar();
            enzo.accelerate();

            Console.WriteLine("---");
            CarFactory hondaFactory = CarFactory.FactoryFor("Honda");
            Car civic = hondaFactory.createCar();
            civic.accelerate();

            Console.WriteLine("---");
            Frame frame = hondaFactory.createFrame();
            Engine engine = ferrariFactory.createEngine();
            Car kitCar = new KitCar("Shaker", engine, frame);
            kitCar.accelerate();

            Console.WriteLine("---");
            Car kitCar2 = new KitCar("LooksGreatGoesSlow", hondaFactory.createEngine(), ferrariFactory.createFrame());
            kitCar2.accelerate();
        }
    }

Answer 2

There's no need to specify a subclass of Car to have a TurboEngine as long as TurboEngine is a subclass of Engine. You can just specify an instance of TurboEngine as the Engine for your Ferrari. You could even put a DieselEngine in your Ferrari. They're all just Engines.

A Car has an Engine. A TurboEngine is an Engine. A Car can have a TurboEngine or a DieselEngine or a FlintstonesEngine. They're all Engines.

If you want to limit the type of Engine in your Car subclass (no LawnMowerEngine in a SportsCar), you can leave it declared as Engine and limit it in the setter methods.

The Car has an Engine relationship doesn't limit the applicable subclasses of Engine.

Answer 3

You can always use an abstract that is protected. The public "Start" will call the protected (that will be ovveride in the abstract class). This way the caller only see the Start() and not the StartEngine().

abstract class Car {
    private Engine engine;

    public Car() {
        this.engine = new Engine();
    }

    protected Car(Engine engine) {
        this.engine = engine;
    }

    public void Start()
    {
        this.StartEngine();
    }
    protected abstract void StartEngine();
}

public class Ferrari : Car
{
    public Ferrari() {

    }
    protected override void StartEngine()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("TURBO ENABLE!!!");
    }

}

-The way to use it:

Car c = new Ferrari();
c.Start();

Answer 4

I think this would work.

public class Car
{
    private Engine engine;
    public virtual Engine CarEngine
    {
        get { return engine;}
    }

    public StartEngine()
    {
         CarEngine.Start();
    }
}

public class Engine
{
     public virtual void Start()
     {
         Console.Writeline("Vroom");
     }
} 

public class TurboEngine : Engine
{
    public override void Start()
    {
        Console.Writeline("Vroom pSHHHHHHH");
    }    

    // TurboEngine Only method
    public double BoostPressure()
    {
    }
}

public class Ferrari : Car
{
    private TurboEngine engine;
    public override Engine CarEngine
    {
         return engine;
    }
}

Ferrari = car new Ferrari();
// Will call Start on TurboEngine()
car.StartEngine();
// Upcast to get TurboEngine stuff
Console.WriteLine(car.CarEngine as TurboEngine).BoostPressure();