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C# Intermediate C# System.Object Object.Equals

Posted by Zachary Eckstein
Zachary Eckstein
9,901 Points

Override compiler error. When included: nothing to override; when left off: two methods named the same? What am missing?

I must be missing something simple. I am new to C#, but I have experience with JS and Python. Please help.

The challenge is to create an Equals() method that compares the input to the Word and return true or false. When I try to override it says there is nothing to override, when I leave it off it says there are two methods with the same name. What to do?

VocabularyWord.cs 
using System;
namespace Treehouse.CodeChallenges
{
    public class VocabularyWord
    {
        public string Word { get; private set; }

        public VocabularyWord(string word)
        {
            Word = word;
        }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return Word;
        }

        public override bool Equals(string word)
        {
            if(Word == word)
            {
                return true;
            }
            else
            {
                return false;
            }
        }
    }
}

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,198 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,198 Points

The reason the compiler finds "no suitable method found to override" is because your method has a different signature. An override must have the same method signature as what it is overriding.

The built-in virtual "Equals" takes an object argument.

Bonus hint: you can expect to type cast your argument so you can use the membership operator on it.

Zachary Eckstein
Zachary Eckstein
9,901 Points

Thank you. I am still new to C# and some of the technical aspects of the base concepts aren't clearly stated in the videos. Your answer makes it clear.