Points to Remember :
1. Delegate is the reference type data type that defines
the signature.
2. Delegate type variable can refer to any method with
the same signature as the delegate.
3. Syntax: [access modifier] delegate [return type]
[delegate name]([parameters])
4. A target method's signature must match with delegate
signature.
5. Delegates can be invoke like a normal function or
Invoke() method.
6. Multiple methods can be assigned to the delegate
using "+" or "+=" operator and removed using "-" or
"-=" operator. It is called multicast delegate.
7. If a multicast delegate returns a value then it returns
the value from the last assigned target method.
8. Delegate is used to declare an event and anonymous
methods in C#.
public delegate void MyDelegate(string msg); //declaring a
delegate
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
MyDelegate del = ClassA.MethodA;
del("Hello World");
del = ClassB.MethodB;
del("Hello World");
del = (string msg) => Console.WriteLine("Called lambda
expression: " + msg);
del("Hello World");
}
}
class ClassA
{
static void MethodA(string message)
{
Console.WriteLine("Called ClassA.MethodA() with
parameter: " + message);
}
}
class ClassB
{
static void MethodB(string message)
{
Console.WriteLine("Called ClassB.MethodB() with
parameter: " + message);
}
}
Passing Delegate as a Parameter
public delegate void MyDelegate(string msg); //declaring a
delegate
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
MyDelegate del = ClassA.MethodA;
InvokeDelegate(del);
del = ClassB.MethodB;
InvokeDelegate(del);
del = (string msg) => Console.WriteLine("Called lambda
expression: " + msg);
InvokeDelegate(del);
}
static void InvokeDelegate(MyDelegate del) // MyDelegate type
parameter
{
del("Hello World");
}
}
class ClassA
{
static void MethodA(string message)
{
Console.WriteLine("Called ClassA.MethodA() with
parameter: " + message);
}
}
class ClassB
{
static void MethodB(string message)
{
Console.WriteLine("Called ClassB.MethodB() with
parameter: " + message);
}
}
Multicast Delegate
public delegate void MyDelegate(string msg); //declaring a
delegate
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
MyDelegate del1 = ClassA.MethodA;
MyDelegate del2 = ClassB.MethodB;
MyDelegate del = del1 + del2; // combines del1 + del2
del("Hello World");
MyDelegate del3 = (string msg) =>
Console.WriteLine("Called lambda expression: " + msg);
del += del3; // combines del1 + del2 + del3
del("Hello World");
del = del - del2; // removes del2
del("Hello World");
del -= del1 // removes del1
del("Hello World");
}
}
class ClassA
{
static void MethodA(string message)
{
Console.WriteLine("Called ClassA.MethodA() with
parameter: " + message);
}
}
class ClassB
{
static void MethodB(string message)
{
Console.WriteLine("Called ClassB.MethodB() with
parameter: " + message);
}
}
Multicast Delegate Returning a Value
public delegate int MyDelegate(); //declaring a delegate
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
MyDelegate del1 = ClassA.MethodA;
MyDelegate del2 = ClassB.MethodB;
MyDelegate del = del1 + del2;
Console.WriteLine(del());// returns 200
}
}
class ClassA
{
static int MethodA()
{
return 100;
}
}
class ClassB
{
static int MethodB()
{
return 200;
}
}
A generic delegate can be defined the same way as a delegate but using generic
type parameters or return type. The generic type must be specified when you set
a target method.
public delegate T add<T>(T param1, T param2); // generic delegate
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
add<int> sum = Sum;
Console.WriteLine(sum(10, 20));
add<string> con = Concat;
Console.WriteLine(conct("Hello ","World!!"));
}
public static int Sum(int val1, int val2)
{
return val1 + val2;
}
public static string Concat(string str1, string str2)
{
return str1 + str2;
}
}
