C#

---

"When the only tool you have is a hammer, a sore thumb you will have."

class BaseClass
{
    public virtual void Method()
    {
    }
}

class DerivedClass: BaseClass
{
    public override void Method()
    {
        // you have access to base here
        base.Method()
    }
}

DerivedClass dc = new DerivedClass();

// here, you do NOT have access to base
// you can only call the instances Method()
// but have no way of explicitly instantiating
// BaseClass.Method(). This is where the 
// question arose, if I understood it correctly.
dc.Method();

class StockItem
{
  private StockItemColour[] colours = null;
 
  ....
 
  public StockItemColour[] StockItemColours
  {
    get
    {
      if( colours == null )
      {
        colours = FetchColoursFromDB();
      }
      
      return colours;
    }
  }
 
  ...
}

public class StockCollection
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// All StockItems assigned to this collection
        /// </summary>
        public StockItems StockItems
        {
            get {return new StockItems(this);}
        }...

StockCollections stockcollectionsTest = new StockCollections();
            foreach (StockCollection stockcollectionCurrent in stockcollectionsTest)
            {
                Response.Write("Collection Title: " + stockcollectionCurrent.Title + "<br />");
                // At this point property StockItems has not been "run" and therefore no sub-items populated, right?
                foreach(StockItem stockitemCurrent in stockcollectionCurrent.StockItems)
                {
                    // But now it has been populated because of the stockcollectionCurrent.StockItems just above, right?
                    Response.Write("StockItem Title: " + stockitemCurrent.Title + "<br />");
                }
            }