为泛型集合类或表示集合中项的泛型类定义接口通常很有用。对于泛型类,使用泛型接口十分可取,例如使用 IComparable<T> 而不使用 IComparable,这样可以避免值类型的装箱和取消装箱操作。.NET Framework 2.0 类库定义了若干新的泛型接口,以用于 System.Collections.Generic 命名空间中新的集合类。
将接口指定为类型参数的约束时,只能使用实现此接口的类型。下面的代码示例显示从 GenericList<T> 类派生的 SortedList<T> 类。有关更多信息,请参见泛型介绍(C# 编程指南)。SortedList<T> 添加了约束 where T : IComparable<T>。这将使 SortedList<T> 中的 BubbleSort 方法能够对列表元素使用泛型 CompareTo 方法。在此示例中,列表元素为简单类,即实现 IComparable<Person> 的 Person。
//Type parameter T in angle brackets.
public class GenericList<T> : System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<T>

{
protected Node head;
protected Node current = null;

// Nested class is also generic on T
protected class Node

{
public Node next;
private T data; //T as private member datatype

public Node(T t) //T used in non-generic constructor

{
next = null;
data = t;
}

public Node Next

{

get
{ return next; }

set
{ next = value; }
}

public T Data //T as return type of property

{

get
{ return data; }

set
{ data = value; }
}
}

public GenericList() //constructor

{
head = null;
}

public void AddHead(T t) //T as method parameter type

{
Node n = new Node(t);
n.Next = head;
head = n;
}

// Implementation of the iterator
public System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerator<T> GetEnumerator()

{
Node current = head;
while (current != null)

{
yield return current.Data;
current = current.Next;
}
}

// IEnumerable<T> inherits from IEnumerable, therefore this class
// must implement both the generic and non-generic versions of
// GetEnumerator. In most cases, the non-generic method can
// simply call the generic method.
System.Collections.IEnumerator System.Collections.IEnumerable.GetEnumerator()

{
return GetEnumerator();
}
}

public class SortedList<T> : GenericList<T> where T : System.IComparable<T>

{
// A simple, unoptimized sort algorithm that
// orders list elements from lowest to highest:

public void BubbleSort()

{
if (null == head || null == head.Next)

{
return;
}
bool swapped;

do

{
Node previous = null;
Node current = head;
swapped = false;

while (current.next != null)

{
// Because we need to call this method, the SortedList
// class is constrained on IEnumerable<T>
if (current.Data.CompareTo(current.next.Data) > 0)

{
Node tmp = current.next;
current.next = current.next.next;
tmp.next = current;

if (previous == null)

{
head = tmp;
}
else

{
previous.next = tmp;
}
previous = tmp;
swapped = true;
}
else

{
previous = current;
current = current.next;
}
}
} while (swapped);
}
}

// A simple class that implements IComparable<T> using itself as the
// type argument. This is a common design pattern in objects that
// are stored in generic lists.
public class Person : System.IComparable<Person>

{
string name;
int age;

public Person(string s, int i)

{
name = s;
age = i;
}

// This will cause list elements to be sorted on age values.
public int CompareTo(Person p)

{
return age - p.age;
}

public override string ToString()

{
return name + ":" + age;
}

// Must implement Equals.
public bool Equals(Person p)

{
return (this.age == p.age);
}
}

class Program

{
static void Main()

{
//Declare and instantiate a new generic SortedList class.
//Person is the type argument.
SortedList<Person> list = new SortedList<Person>();

//Create name and age values to initialize Person objects.
string[] names = new string[]

{
"Franscoise",
"Bill",
"Li",
"Sandra",
"Gunnar",
"Alok",
"Hiroyuki",
"Maria",
"Alessandro",
"Raul"
};


int[] ages = new int[]
{ 45, 19, 28, 23, 18, 9, 108, 72, 30, 35 };

//Populate the list.
for (int x = 0; x < 10; x++)

{
list.AddHead(new Person(names[x], ages[x]));
}

//Print out unsorted list.
foreach (Person p in list)

{
System.Console.WriteLine(p.ToString());
}
System.Console.WriteLine("Done with unsorted list");

//Sort the list.
list.BubbleSort();

//Print out sorted list.
foreach (Person p in list)

{
System.Console.WriteLine(p.ToString());
}
System.Console.WriteLine("Done with sorted list");
}
}
可将多重接口指定为单个类型上的约束,如下所示:
class Stack<T> where T : System.IComparable<T>, IEnumerable<T>


{
}

一个接口可定义多个类型参数,如下所示:
interface IDictionary<K, V>


{
}

类之间的继承规则同样适用于接口:

interface IMonth<T>
{ }


interface IJanuary : IMonth<int>
{ } //No error

interface IFebruary<T> : IMonth<int>
{ } //No error

interface IMarch<T> : IMonth<T>
{ } //No error
//interface IApril<T> : IMonth<T, U> {} //Error

如果泛型接口为逆变的,即仅使用其类型参数作为返回值,则此泛型接口可以从非泛型接口继承。在 .NET Framework 类库中,IEnumerable<T> 从 IEnumerable 继承,因为 IEnumerable<T> 仅在 GetEnumerator 的返回值和当前属性 getter 中使用 T。
具体类可以实现已关闭的构造接口,如下所示:

interface IBaseInterface<T>
{ }


class SampleClass : IBaseInterface<string>
{ }

只要类参数列表提供了接口必需的所有参数,泛型类便可以实现泛型接口或已关闭的构造接口,如下所示:

interface IBaseInterface1<T>
{ }

interface IBaseInterface2<T, U>
{ }


class SampleClass1<T> : IBaseInterface1<T>
{ } //No error

class SampleClass2<T> : IBaseInterface2<T, string>
{ } //No error

对于泛型类、泛型结构或泛型接口中的方法,控制方法重载的规则相同。