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Just a note that I am refactoring some code from C++ to C#. 
 
This was the orignal code so I am creating a base class and deriving the others (CompoundObjectKey etc) from it. 
 
#ifndef _DBKeys_inl 
#define _DBKeys_inl 
 
#ifdef DBKEYINLINE 
&nbsp; #define InlineIt inline 
#else 
&nbsp; #define InlineIt 
#endif 
 
#define DatabaseKeyImpl(x) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;\ 
InlineIt x::x(void) { key = 0; &nbsp;} &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; \ 
InlineIt x::x(const x&amp; _key) { key = _key.key; &nbsp;} &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; \ 
InlineIt x::x(const unsigned long _key) { key = _key; &nbsp;} &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;\ 
InlineIt x&amp; x::operator=(const x&amp; _key) { key = _key.key; return *this; } &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; \ 
InlineIt x&amp; x::operator=(const unsigned long _key) { key = _key; return *this; &nbsp;} &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; \ 
InlineIt x::operator unsigned long(void) const { return key; &nbsp;} &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; \ 
InlineIt void x::setNoKey(void) { key = (unsigned long)-1; } &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;\ 
InlineIt int x::queryNoKey(void) const { return key == (unsigned long)-1; &nbsp;} &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;\ 
InlineIt int x::querySet(void) const { return key ? 1 : 0; &nbsp;} &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
// Definitions 
DatabaseKeyImpl(CompoundObjectKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(ProcessKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(ObjectKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(CObjKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(ProcRelKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(ModelKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(CSticKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(VerbKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(VersionKey); 
DatabaseKeyImpl(CObjPrimKey); 
 
#undef InlineIt 
 
#endif
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The = operator can't be overloaded: 
 
ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1031/csref/html/vclrfOverloadableOperators.htm
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Now thats what I call service....thanks eltic
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<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
I have a class A that has a ulong i property. 
 
class DatabaseKeyBase 
&nbsp; { 
&nbsp; &nbsp; private ulong m_key = 0; 
 
&nbsp; &nbsp; public ulong Key 
&nbsp; &nbsp; { 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; get { return this.m_key; } 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; set { this.m_key = value; } 
&nbsp; &nbsp; } 
&nbsp; } 
 
I want to overload the = operator so that the following happens 
//Code 
Class a, b; 
a = b 
 
I want the value i to be copied from b.i to a.i and not the the class pointing to the same reference. 
 
Any ideas..
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I have a class A that has a ulong i property.

class DatabaseKeyBase
  {
    private ulong m_key = 0;

    public ulong Key
    {
      get { return this.m_key; }
      set { this.m_key = value; }
    }
  }

I want to overload the = operator so that the following happens
//Code
Class a, b;
a = b

I want the value i to be copied from b.i to a.i and not the the class pointing to the same reference.

Any ideas..

C# overloading the = operator

C# is an object-oriented programming language created in conjunction with Microsoft’s .NET framework. Compilation is usually done into the Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL), which is then JIT-compiled to native code (and cached) during execution in the Common Language Runtime (CLR).