Anonymous methods and delegates

Question

I try to understand why a BeginInvoke method won't accept an anonymous method.

void bgWorker_ProgressChanged(object sender, ProgressChangedEventArgs e)
{
    if (InvokeRequired)
    {
        //Won't compile
        BeginInvoke(delegate(object sender, ProgressChangedEventArgs e) 
        { bgWorker_ProgressChanged(sender, e); });
    }

    progressBar1.Increment(e.ProgressPercentage);
}

It tells me 'cannot convert from 'anonymous method' to 'System.Delegate' while when I cast the anonymous method to a delegate it does work ?

BeginInvoke((progressDelegate)delegate { bgWorker_ProgressChanged(sender, e); });

Answer 1

The Delegate class is the base class for delegate types. However, only the system and compilers can derive explicitly from the Delegate class or from the MulticastDelegate class. It is also not permissible to derive a new type from a delegate type. The Delegate class is not considered a delegate type; it is a class used to derive delegate types. Source -- MSDN

Hence the need for the explicit cast to a derived-from-Delegate type. You'd encounter this particular compiler error when you pass an anonymous method for a parameter of System.Delegate type - fortunately this is a rare scenario. That's just too much flexibility.

delegate void MyDelegate();

  static void DoSomething_Flexible(Delegate d)
  {   d.DynamicInvoke();      }
  static void DoSomething_Usable(MyDelegate d)
  {   d();      }
  static void Main(string[] args)
  {
     // requires explicit cast else compile error Error "Cannot convert anonymous method to type 'System.Delegate' because it is not a delegate type    
     DoSomething_Flexible((MyDelegate) delegate { Console.WriteLine("Flexible is here!"); });  

     // Parameter Type is a .NET Delegate, no explicit cast needed here. 
     DoSomething_Usable(delegate { Console.WriteLine("Usable is here!"); });
  }

More on this at this page by Ian Griffith. (See the paras after the Notes header)