Confused about interfaces in D

[Steven Schveighoffer]

"ylixir" wrote
> Thomas Leonard wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm used to interfaces in Java, and I'm wondering why this doesn't work 
>> in D:
>>
>>   interface Clock {}
>>
>>   class SystemClock : Clock {}
>>
>>   void main(string[] args) {
>> Clock c = new SystemClock();
>> c.toString();
>>   }
>>
>> It says:
>>
>>   $ dmd clock.d
>>   clock.d(7): Error: no property 'toString' for type 'clock.Clock'
>>
>> This compiles, though:
>>
>> Clock c = new SystemClock();
>> (cast(Object) c).toString();
>>
>> When is a "Clock" not an "Object"?
>>
>> Thanks,
>
> "Clock" is never an "Object".  Object is a class every other class is 
> implicitly inherited from, and interfaces cannot be derived from classes, 
> otherwise you would wind up with the nastiness that makes multiple 
> inheritance in c++ such a nightmare (diamond shaped inheritance trees, 
> etc), and would in fact eliminate the need for interfaces altogether.
>
> casting c to Object works because SystemClock inherits from Object, 
> without the cast it doesn't work because Clock is not inherited from 
> Object.
>
> Maybe i'm missing something, as others seem to be going on about COM 
> programming, but i don't think this has anything to do with COM, it's 
> simply that D doesn't support multiple inheritance, with good reason.

The issue is totally with COM.

Without the requirement for any interface to possibly be a COM interface, 
all interfaces would implicitly inherit from ObjectInterface or some 
interface that always has the functions required in Object defined (e.g. 
toString()).

But COM objects don't have the same base functions as Object does, so 
interfaces have no required base functions.  Making life difficult for those 
who never ever work with COM (and I can't say I blame them, COM sucks).

-Steve