C#.NET — Delegates: In which of the following areas are delegates most commonly used? Remoting Serialization File Input/Output Multithreading Event handling

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 4 and 5 only

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on understanding the core application areas of delegates in C#. Delegates are reference types that are central to event-driven and asynchronous programming in .NET. Recognizing where they are most useful helps in writing cleaner, modular, and flexible code.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Delegates are function pointers in managed code, providing type safety.
  • Delegates are often compared with callbacks in other languages.
  • Common application areas are considered.


Concept / Approach:
Delegates are not typically used in remoting, serialization, or file I/O directly. They shine in asynchronous programming (multithreading) and event handling. Event handlers in GUI frameworks like Windows Forms and WPF rely on delegates. Similarly, asynchronous task execution often leverages delegates for callbacks.



Step-by-Step Solution:

(1) Remoting — handled by proxies and serializers, not direct delegate usage → Not primary. (2) Serialization — typically handled by formatters, attributes, and reflection → Not delegate-specific. (3) File I/O — managed with streams, readers, and writers → No strong delegate usage. (4) Multithreading — delegates allow callback execution and asynchronous invocation → Valid use case. (5) Event handling — the most common use case of delegates in C# → Valid use case.


Verification / Alternative check:
In WinForms: button.Click += new EventHandler(MyHandler); This line relies on delegates. In threading: BeginInvoke/EndInvoke patterns also rely on delegates.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options A and C include incorrect use cases. Option B ignores multithreading. Option E overstates usage, including irrelevant scenarios.



Common Pitfalls:
Believing delegates are used for every runtime service; confusing their broad utility with core framework mechanisms like serialization and I/O.



Final Answer:
4 and 5 only

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion