shadows

Simple question from a simple-minded: What are the differences between the Shadows keyword in VB.NET and the New keyword in C#? (regarding method signatures of course). They are not identical. The Shadowing concept does not exist in C # Consider a vb.net base class with some overloads: Public Class BaseClass Public Function SomeMethod() As String Return String.Empty End Function Public Function SomeMethod(SomeParam As String) As String Return "Base from String" End Function Public Function SomeMethod(SomeParam As Integer) As String Return "Base from Integer" End Function Public Function

When we have new in C#, that personally I see only as a workaround to override a property that does not have a virtual/overridable declaration, in VB.NET we have two "concepts" Shadows and Overloads . In which case prefer one to another? There are three closely related concepts; overriding, shadowing and overloading. Overriding is when you make a new implementation for a virtual method. Shadowing is when you make a new non-virtual implementation for a method. Overloading is when you add a method with the same name but different parameters. All three concepts are available both in C# and VB.

What is the significance of the two keywords Shadows and Overrides ? What they do and for which context is one or the other preferable? I wouldn't consider Shadows to really be an OOP concept. Overrides indicates that you are providing new or additional functionality for a method/property etc that was declared in an ancestor class. Shadows really tricks the compiler into thinking that the parent method/property etc does not even exist. I have no use for Shadows. Stick to Overrides. These types of helpful little "features" that VB has provided for years always end up causing you grief at some