vb.net System namespace conflict with sibling namespace

Question

I have a class EventArgs(Of T) in my solution.
This class is located in the namespace Acme.Infrastructure.Interface.
A class with the same name EventArgs exists in the System namespace.

In another project in my solution I have a class Acme.BusinessModules.MyModule.MyClass
When attempting to use the EventArgs class I have to fully qualify the class name or the compiler thinks I am using the System.EventArgs class.

My understanding of namespace resolution was that the compiler would first look for the class in the current namespace, and then its parents. It seems that the compiler checks in System before it checks in sibling namespaces.

Is it correct that System is checked before the sibling? Or is this behaviour caused by other issues (Imports order?)?

Jon Skeet · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-16 17:36:53Z

1

Look at the namespaces involved:

Acme.BusinessModules.MyModule
Acme.Infrastructure.Interface

There's no reason why the compiler would look in Acme.Infrastructure.Interface when compiling a class in Acme.BusinessModules.MyModule. Now if the code you were writing were in (say) Acme.Infrastructure.Interface.SomethingElse then that would be a different matter - but here it looks like the compiler is doing absolutely the right thing. The fact that both namespaces start with Acme is neither here nor there.

As you yourself said:

My understanding of namespace resolution was that the compiler would first look for the class in the current namespace, and then its parents.

The ancestor namespaces here are Acme.BusinessModules and Acme - not Acme.Infrastructure.Interface.

I would also strongly advise you not to create class names which conflict with those in System. It's really just asking for trouble.

answered Nov 16, 2011 at 17:36

Jon Skeet

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2 Comments

ArturPhilibin Over a year ago

Ok, was just my misunderstanding of the namespaces system then, time to do some reading. The class with the same name was created by SCSF!

Jon Skeet Over a year ago

@DaSilva_Ireland: I've never used SCSF, but you should absolutely see if you can disable that class generation (or just delete it if it was a one-time thing). It will just cause you pain.

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