---
title: "What is a delegate?"  
description: "What is a delegate?"  
author: "Anonymous User"  
published: 2010-10-16  
updated: 2023-05-08  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/16/what-is-a-delegate  
category: ".net"  
tags: [".net"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What is a delegate? 

Adelegate object encapsulates a reference to a method. In C they were referredto as function pointers.

## Answers

### Answer by Aryan Kumar

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In computer programming, a delegate is a type that represents a reference to a method with a specific signature, allowing it to be called asynchronously or passed as a parameter to another method.

Delegates are commonly used in object-oriented programming languages such as C# and Java to provide a way to define and execute code dynamically at runtime. They are useful in situations where you want to pass behavior around as a parameter, such as when implementing callbacks, event handling, or function pointers.

For example, in C#, you can define a delegate type with a specific signature (return type and parameter list), and then create a delegate instance that points to a specific method that matches that signature. You can then pass that delegate as a parameter to another method or assign it to an event handler to be called later.

Delegates provide a flexible and powerful way to implement dynamic behavior in a program, making it easier to write reusable and maintainable code.

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### Answer by Uttam Misra

Adelegate object encapsulates a reference to a method. In C they were referredto as function pointers.


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