How to: Create and Implement Interfaces 

As explained in Interfaces Overview, interfaces describe the properties, methods, and events of a class without providing any implementation.

To create an interface

  1. Define your interface by adding code to it that begins with the Interface keyword and the name of the interface, and ends with the End Interface statement. For example, the following code defines an interface named IAsset.

    Interface IAsset
    End Interface
    
  2. Add statements that define the properties, methods, and events your interface supports. For example, the following code defines one function, one property, and one event.

    Interface IAsset
        Event ComittedChange(ByVal Success As Boolean)
        Property Division() As String
        Function GetID() As Integer
    End Interface
    

To implement an interface

  1. If the interface that you are implementing is not part of your project, add a reference to the assembly containing the interface.

  2. Create a new class that implements your interface, and include the Implements keyword in the line following the class name. For example, to implement the IAsset interface, you could name the implementation class Computer, as in the following code.

    Class Computer
        Implements IAsset
    End Class
    
  3. Add procedures to implement the properties, methods, and events of the class as in the following code, which builds on the example in the previous step:

    Class Computer
        Implements IAsset
    
        Public Event ComittedChange(ByVal Success As Boolean) _
           Implements IAsset.ComittedChange
    
        Private divisionValue As String
    
        Public Property Division() As String _
            Implements IAsset.Division
    
            Get
                Return divisionValue
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As String)
                divisionValue = value
                RaiseEvent ComittedChange(True)
            End Set
        End Property
    
        Private IDValue As Integer
    
        Public Function GetID() As Integer _
            Implements IAsset.GetID
    
            Return IDValue
        End Function
    
        Public Sub New(ByVal Division As String, ByVal ID As Integer)
            Me.divisionValue = Division
            Me.IDValue = ID
        End Sub
    End Class
    

See Also

Tasks

Walkthrough: Creating and Implementing Interfaces

Reference

Interface Statement (Visual Basic)

Concepts

Interfaces Overview
Interface Definition
Implements Keyword and Implements Statement
Interface Implementation Examples in Visual Basic
When to Use Interfaces

Other Resources

Inheritance in Visual Basic