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<reference id="apiBaseClassifier" outputclass="element" xml:lang="en-us">
<title>apiBaseClassifier</title>
<shortdesc>The &lt;apiBaseClassifier> element specifies a base classifier
from which the classifier inherits part of its instance, structure, or behavior. </shortdesc>
<refbody>
<section><title>Description</title><p>Base classes are a useful way to group
objects that share a common set of functionality. Base classes can provide
a default set of functionality and allow customization though extension. </p><p>This
element can provide an <i>href</i> attribute if the description of the API
item is available. If the description is not available, the &lt;apiBaseClassifier>
element can provide the name of the API item in its contents. <ul>
<li>If you use an <i>href</i> attribute to a DITA API topic that describes
the related API item, you do not need to provide any other information.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>If you provide an <i>href </i> attribute to some other format (such as
HTML), you need to provide the name of the related API item inside the &lt;apiBaseClassifier>
element.</li>
</ul><ul>
<li>If you cannot provide an <i>href</i> attribute (for instance, if the description
of the related API item might not be available), you must provide the name
of the related API item inside the &lt;apiBaseClassifier> element and the
fully qualified name of the element in the <i>keyref</i> attribute. The <i>keyref</i> attribute
must provide a unique key such as a fully qualified classifier name for the
named API item.</li>
</ul></p><p>For example, in Java API specialization, the &lt;apiBaseClassifier>
represents the &lt;javaBaseClass> for a superclass and the &lt;javaBaseInterface>
for a super interface. </p></section>
<example><title>Example</title>The following example shows a simple &lt;apiBaseClassifier>
element for a Visual Basic API class:<?Pub Caret?><codeblock>&lt;apiClassifier id="com.ibm.xtools.xde" outputclass="class" platform="vb">
    &lt;apiName>RXEAbstraction&lt;/apiName>
    &lt;shortdesc>Specifies one or more interfaces or interface members that will be implemented
        in the class or structure definition in which it appears.&lt;/shortdesc>
    &lt;apiClassifierDetail>
       &lt;apiClassifierDef>
		&lt;!– SYNTAX
          Public Class RXEAbstraction
          Inherits IRXEClass 
        –>
          &lt;apiQualifier name="access" value="public"/>
          &lt;apiBaseClassifier>
            &lt;apiItemName href=”IRXEClass”>IRXEClass&lt;/apiItemName>
            &lt;apiDefNote>Required. A class whose properties, methods, and events will be
                implemented by corresponding members in a class or structure.&lt;/apiDefNote>
          &lt;/apiBaseClassifier>
          &lt;apiClassifierMember>&lt;apiItemName>RXEAbstraction&lt;/apiItemName>
          &lt;/apiClassifierMember>
       &lt;/apiClassifierDef>
	&lt;/apiClassifierDetail>
&lt;/apiClassifier></codeblock></example>
<section conref="../packagedef.dita#apiBaseClassifier-reference/apiBaseClassifier-containedBy-section"></section>
<section conref="../packagedef.dita#apiBaseClassifier-reference/apiBaseClassifier-contains-section"></section>
<section conref="../packagedef.dita#apiBaseClassifier-reference/apiBaseClassifier-contentModel-section"></section>
<section conref="../packagedef.dita#apiBaseClassifier-reference/apiBaseClassifier-attList-section"></section>
<section conref="../packagedef.dita#apiBaseClassifier-reference/apiBaseClassifier-classValue-section"></section>
</refbody>
</reference>
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