C# virtual (or abstract) static methods

Question

Static inheritance works just like instance inheritance. Except you are not allowed to make static methods virtual or abstract.

class Program {
    static vo         


        

Answer 1

You could store the TargetMethod as a delegate, which a subclass could change as needed:

class TestBase {
    protected static Action _targetMethod;

    static new() {
       _targetMethod = new Action(() => {
           Console.WriteLine("Base class");
       });
    }

    public static void TargetMethod() {
        _targetMethod();
    }

    public static void Operation() {
        TargetMethod();
    }
}

class TestChild : TestBase {
    static new() {
       _targetMethod = new Action(() => {
           Console.WriteLine("Child class");
       });
    }
}

Since these are static instances, though - the _targetMethod is shared across all instances - changing it in TestChild changes it for TestBase as well. You may or may not care about that. If you do, generics or a Dictionary might help.

Overall, though, you'd have a much easier time if you didn't insist on statics, or perhaps used composition instead of inheritance.