C# Multicast Delegates Tutorial with Programming Example

In this chapter you will learn:
  • What is multicast delegate?
  • How to initialize c# multicast delegates?
  • Programming Example

What is Multicast Delegate?

Multicast Delegate is an extension of normal delegates. It combines more than one method at a single moment of time.

Important Fact about Multicast Delegate

  1. In Multicasting, Delegates can be combined and when you call a delegate, a whole list of methods is called.
  2. All methods are called in FIFO (First in First Out) order.
  3. + or += Operator is used for adding methods to delegates.
  4. or -= Operator is used for removing methods from the delegates list.
 

Programming Example

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace Multicast_Delegates
{    
    class TestDeleGate
    {
        public delegate void ShowMessage(string s);
        public void message1(string msg)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("1st Message is : {0}", msg);
        }
        public void message2(string msg)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("2nd Message is : {0}", msg);
        }
        public void message3(string msg)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("3rd Message is : {0}", msg);
        }
    }
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            TestDeleGate td = new TestDeleGate();
            TestDeleGate.ShowMessage message = null;
            message += new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message1);
            message += new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message2);
            message += new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message3);
            message("Hello Multicast Delegates");
            message -= new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message2);
            Console.WriteLine("----------------------");
            message("Message 2 Removed");
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

Output
1st Message is : Hello Multicast Delegates
2nd Message is : Hello Multicast Delegates
3rd Message is : Hello Multicast Delegates
----------------------
1st Message is : Message 2 Removed
3rd Message is : Message 2 Removed

Explanation

This is the very basic example of Multicast delegates.

  1. Delegates Created
    public delegate void ShowMessage(string s);

  2. Created 3 functions
    public void message1(string msg)
    public void message2(string msg)
    public void message3(string msg)

  3. Created Delegate's Object in Main method
    TestDeleGate.ShowMessage message = null;

  4. All the methods are added to delegates object.
    message += new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message1);
           message += new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message2);
    message += new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message3);

    Print Delegates
    message("Hello Multicast Delegates");

  5. Remove message2(string msg) from delegates
    message -= new TestDeleGate.ShowMessage(td.message2);

Summary

In this chapter you learned about multicast delegates in c#. In the next chapter you will learn very important topics in c# - Event Handling.

 

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