Controversy: The Case Against Multiple Inheritance in C#

Abstract

Multiple inheritance (MI) is now part of C#. MI greatly complicates the language, burdening those who learno write and read C#. The costs would be justified if MI enriched the language, making it easier to express programs. But the literature contains no convincing examples of MI solving programming problems. Still, the ANSI X3J16 standards committee for C# has embraced MI by adopting Ellis & Stroustrup U9901 as a base document. Before imposing a standard that includes MI, the committee should justify the costs by publishing realistic sample programs that demonstrate a compelling need for MI.