Can you implement private or protected inheritance in C# like in C++?

Other Questions Notion
1

I’m wondering if C# supports private or protected inheritance similar to what you can do in C++. When I try to use it, I get compilation errors.

In C++ this works fine:

class Vehicle : private Engine {
 public:
   void start();
};

But in C# this fails:

public class WebHandler : private HttpContext
{
    // compiler error: "type expected"
    public void ProcessRequest() { }
}

I’m trying to build a custom web processing component that inherits from HttpContext but I don’t want the derived classes to access all the internal methods and properties from the base class. Is there a way to achieve this inheritance restriction in C#, or does the language simply not support this feature at all?

2

C# doesn’t support private or protected inheritance, as Microsoft aimed to maintain simplicity compared to C++. The access modifiers (public, private, protected, internal) refer only to class members, not inheritance. This is why you’re facing compilation errors; the compiler anticipates just the class name after the colon without any access modifier. I encountered similar challenges when transitioning from C++. While explicit interface implementations can offer analogous encapsulation benefits, I recommend using a private field for HttpContext in your WebHandler class. This way, you can meticulously manage which functionality is available to users of your class.

3

C# does not allow for private or protected inheritance like C++. In this language, all inheritance defaults to public, which can be a challenging adjustment for those used to the flexibility of C++. When attempting to manage access to base class members, consider using composition over inheritance. Instead of trying to limit what derived classes can access, create a private field of type HttpContext within your WebHandler class. That way, you can expose only the methods and properties necessary through public wrapper methods. This approach provides the control you’re looking for while adhering to C#'s design principles, which favor simplicity and the use of interfaces.

4

yeah, c# sticks to public inheritance only. the designers aimed for simplicity, so you won’t find private or protected inheritance here. composition is a better route—just include a private HttpContext field in your class instead of trying to inherit.

5

Nope, C# doesn’t have this at all. They deliberately left out private and protected inheritance.

I hit this same problem years ago building a web scraper. Needed to wrap HTTP stuff without exposing everything.

Here’s what works better than fighting the language: automate wrapper class generation. You get exactly the API you want without the headache.

For your WebHandler, just automate these wrapper patterns. Generate different access levels based on what you need. I’ve watched teams burn weeks trying to hack around C#'s inheritance when they could’ve automated the boilerplate.

Best part? Set up triggers to regenerate wrappers when your base APIs change. No more manual composition maintenance.

This scales way better than doing it by hand, especially with multiple similar cases in your codebase.