Delphi - Interfaces inside interfaces - delphi

Question

I'm an newbee concerning interfaces. I googled a lot but i can't figure out what to do in the following situation.
i created serveral interfaces, which use each other:
IPart = interface(IInterface)
Function getName: string;
procedure setName(aValue: string)
property Name: string read getName write setname;
end;
IOfferLine= interface(iInterface)
Function getPart: IPart;
function getAmount: double;
procedure setPart(aPart: IPart);
procedure setAmount(value: double);
property Amount: double read getAmount write setAmount;
property Part: IPart read GetPart write setPart;
end;
IOffer= interface(iInterface)
function getOffLines: tList<IOfferline>;
procedure setOffLines(aList: tList<IOfferline>);
property OffLines: tList<IOfferlines> read getOffLines write setOfflines;
end;
Now i want to implement those interface.
TPart = class(TInterfacedObject, IPart)
private
_Name: string;
function getName: string;
procedure setName(aValue: string);
public
property Name: string read getName write setName;
end;
TOfferLine = class(TInterfacedObject, IOfferLine)
private
_amount: double;
_part: TPart;
function getAmount: double;
function getPart: tPart;
procedure setAmount(aValue: double);
procedure setPart(aPart: TPart);
public
property Amount: double read getAmount write setAmount;
property Part: TPart read GetPart write SetPart;
end;
TOffer = class(TInterfacedObject, IOffer)
private
_OfferLines: tList<TOfferline>;
function getOffLines: tList<tOfferline>;
procedure setOffLines(aList: tList<tOfferline>);
public
property offLines: tList<TOfferline> read getOffLines write setOffLines;
end;
I have added the implementation.
function TOfferLine.getPart: tPart;
begin
result := _part;
end;
But i still get 'Missing implementation of interface method IOfferline.GetPart;'
And i Can't figure out why.

Answer 1

I dont know what you are trying to to but if you didn't write you code so messy it would be easier to read. But thank God we have a Source formatter.
There are seval problems in you code:
First You have your property declared as property OffLines: TList<IOfferline**s**> while your interface is named IOfferline
Then TOfferline you have a method procedure setPart(aPart: TPart); that should be procedure setPart(aPart: IPart); because thats how you declared your interface. And all the other places where you Use TPart should be IPart.
And the same goes for TOffer
Here is a cleaned up version of your code :
unit Unit20;
interface
uses
Generics.Collections;
type
IPart = interface(IInterface)
function getName: string;
procedure setName(aValue: string);
property Name: string read getName write setName;
end;
IOfferLine = interface(IInterface)
function getPart: IPart;
function getAmount: double;
procedure setPart(aPart: IPart);
procedure setAmount(value: double);
property Amount: double read getAmount write setAmount;
property Part: IPart read getPart write setPart;
end;
IOffer = interface(IInterface)
function getOffLines: TList<IOfferLine>;
procedure setOffLines(aList: TList<IOfferLine>);
property OffLines: TList < IOfferLine > read getOffLines write setOffLines;
end;
TPart = class(TInterfacedObject, IPart)
private
_Name: string;
function getName: string;
procedure setName(aValue: string);
public
property Name: string read getName write setName;
end;
TOfferline = class(TInterfacedObject, IOfferLine)
private
_amount: double;
_part: TPart;
function getAmount: double;
function getPart: IPart;
procedure setAmount(aValue: double);
procedure setPart(aPart: IPart);
public
property Amount: double read getAmount write setAmount;
property Part: IPart read getPart write setPart;
end;
TOffer = class(TInterfacedObject, IOffer)
private
_OfferLines: TList<TOfferline>;
function getOffLines: TList<IOfferLine>;
procedure setOffLines(aList: TList<IOfferLine>);
public
property OffLines: TList < IOfferLine > read getOffLines write setOffLines;
end;
implementation
{ TOfferline }
function TOfferline.getAmount: double;
begin
end;
function TOfferline.getPart: IPart;
begin
end;
procedure TOfferline.setAmount(aValue: double);
begin
end;
procedure TOfferline.setPart(aPart: IPart);
begin
end;
{ TOffer }
function TOffer.getOffLines: TList<IOfferLine>;
begin
end;
procedure TOffer.setOffLines(aList: TList<IOfferLine>);
begin
end;
{ TPart }
function TPart.getName: string;
begin
end;
procedure TPart.setName(aValue: string);
begin
end;
end.

Answer 2

The reason the compiler is saying that the implementation is missing is simply because the implementation is missing.
Your interface for IOfferLine declares this getPart method:
IOfferLine= interface(iInterface)
..
function getPart: IPart;
..
end;
But your implementing class does not provide this method. The getPart method in your class is implemented to return an object reference, not an interface reference:
TOfferLine = class(TInterfacedObject, IOfferLine)
private
..
function getPart: tPart;
..
end;
You need to ensure that your implementing class actually provides the members required by the interfaces that it implements, exactly and precisely:
TOfferLine = class(TInterfacedObject, IOfferLine)
private
..
function getPart: IPart;
..
end;
function TOfferline.getPart: IPart;
begin
result := _part as IPart;
end;
However, since the reference to the Part maintained by the OfferLine object (in the _part variable) is an object reference, then references to that object obtained using interfaces (via the getPart: IPart method) could result in that Part object being destroyed since the object reference in OfferLine is not counted (literally).
You can of course avoid this by making the Part reference held by OfferLine an interface reference itself, but whether this is valid is difficult to say with out a complete picture of your entire object model. If the lifetimes of your objects are ensured by some other mechanism not apparent from the question then it may not be an issue, but if it is not something that has been specifically considered thus far then it probably does need addressing.
Although it is possible to do safely, as a general rule mixing object references and interface references to the same objects is a recipe for problems.