C# – Convert this abstract class to an interface

[1] Add virtual "getters" & "setters" to your properties, I had to hack another control library, because I need this feature:

abstract class Control
{
    // internal fields for properties
    protected int _Width;
    protected int _Height;
    protected int _BackColor;
    protected int _X;
    protected int _Y;
    protected bool Visible;

    protected int BorderWidth;
    protected int BorderColor;


    // getters & setters virtual !!!

    public virtual int getWidth(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setWidth(...) { ... }

    public virtual int getHeight(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setHeight(...) { ... }

    public virtual int getBackColor(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setBackColor(...) { ... }

    public virtual int getX(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setX(...) { ... }

    public virtual int getY(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setY(...) { ... }

    public virtual int getBorderWidth(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setBorderWidth(...) { ... }

    public virtual int getBorderColor(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setBorderColor(...) { ... }

    public virtual bool getVisible(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setVisible(...) { ... }

    // properties WITH virtual getters & setters

    public int Width { get getWidth(); set setWidth(value); }

    public int Height { get getHeight(); set setHeight(value); }

    public int BackColor { get getBackColor(); set setBackColor(value); }

    public int X { get getX(); set setX(value); }

    public int Y { get getY(); set setY(value); }

    public int BorderWidth { get getBorderWidth(); set setBorderWidth(value); }

    public int BorderColor { get getBorderColor(); set setBorderColor(value); }

    public bool Visible { get getVisible(); set setVisible(value); }

    // other methods

    public Rectangle ClipRectange { get; protected set; }   
    abstract public void Draw();
} // class Control

/* concrete */ class MyControl: Control
{
    public override bool getVisible(...) { ... }
    public override void setVisible(...) { ... }
} // class MyControl: Control

I know this suggestion is more "verbose" or complex, but, its very useful in real world.

[2] Add an "IsEnabled" property, do not confuse with "IsReadOnly":

abstract class Control
{
    // internal fields for properties
    protected bool _IsEnabled;

    public virtual bool getIsEnabled(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setIsEnabled(...) { ... }

    public bool IsEnabled{ get getIsEnabled(); set setIsEnabled(value); }
} // class Control

Means you may have to show your control, but don't show any information.

[3] Add a "IsReadOnly" property, do not confuse with "IsEnabled":

abstract class Control
{
    // internal fields for properties
    protected bool _IsReadOnly;

    public virtual bool getIsReadOnly(...) { ... }
    public virtual void setIsReadOnly(...) { ... }

    public bool IsReadOnly{ get getIsReadOnly(); set setIsReadOnly(value); }
} // class Control

That means the control can display information, but cannot be changed by the user.

In layman's terms:

Interfaces are for "can do/can be treated as" type of relationships.

Abstract ( as well as concrete ) classes are for "is a" kind of relationship.

Look at these examples:

class Bird extends Animal implements Flight;
class Plane extends Vehicle implements Flight, AccountableAsset;
class Mosquito extends Animal implements Flight;
class Horse extends Animal;
class RaceHorse extends Horse implements AccountableAsset;
class Pegasus extends Horse implements Flight;

Bird, Mosquito and Horse are Animals. They are related. They inherit common methods from Animal like eat(), metabolize() and reproduce(). Maybe they override these methods, adding a little extra to them, but they take advantage of the default behavior implemented in Animal like metabolizeGlucose().

Plane is not related to Bird, Mosquito or Horse.

Flight is implemented by dissimilar, unrelated classes, like Bird and Plane.

AccountableAsset is also implemented by dissimilar, unrelated classes, like Plane and RaceHorse.

Horse doesn't implement Flight.

As you can see classes (abstract or concrete) helps you build a hierarchies, letting you inhering code from the upper levels to the lower levels of the hierarchy. In theory the lower you are in the hierarchy, the more specialized your behavior is, but you don't have to worry about a lot of things that are already taken care of.

Interfaces, in the other hand, create no hierarchy, but they can help homogenize certain behaviors across hierarchies so you can abstract them from the hierarchy in certain contexts.

For example you can have a program sum the value of a group of AccountableAssets regardless of their being RaceHorses or Planes.