Delegate Inference in C#: Simplifying Delegate Assignment and Enhancing Code Readability

Learn about delegate inference in C#, a feature that simplifies assigning methods to delegate variables. This tutorial explains how delegate inference works, compares it to explicit delegate creation, and demonstrates its use in creating more concise and readable C# code.



Delegate Inference in C#

Delegate inference in C# simplifies the process of assigning methods to delegate instances. It allows you to directly assign a method name to a delegate variable without explicitly creating a delegate object. This makes your code more concise and readable.

Understanding Delegate Inference

In earlier versions of C#, assigning a method to a delegate required creating a new delegate object and passing the method to the constructor. Delegate inference automates this step; the compiler infers the delegate type and creates the delegate object implicitly.

Example: Delegate without Inference

This example shows the traditional way (without inference) of assigning a method to a delegate:


// Delegate declaration
delegate void MyDelegate(string message);

// ... (Method to be assigned to the delegate) ...

// Creating delegate object and assigning the method
MyDelegate myDelegate = new MyDelegate(MyMethod); 

Example: Delegate with Inference

Here's the same example using delegate inference. The method is assigned directly to the delegate without creating a new delegate object:


// Delegate declaration
delegate void MyDelegate(string message);

// ... (Method to be assigned to the delegate) ...

// Delegate inference: Direct method assignment
MyDelegate myDelegate = MyMethod;