What is the Difference Between Delegates and Events in C#?

Delegates and events in C# are related but serve different purposes. Here are the key differences between them:

1. Declaration: Delegates are declared using the delegate keyword, while events are declared using the event keyword.
2. Functionality: Delegates are used to pass methods as arguments to other methods, functioning as function pointers. Events, on the other hand, provide a notification mechanism that depends on delegates. They enable a class or object to notify other classes or objects when something of interest occurs.
3. Independence: Delegates are independent and not dependent on events. Events are dependent on delegates and cannot be created without them.
4. Usage: A delegate can be passed as a method parameter. An event, however, is raised but cannot be passed as a method parameter.
5. Access: Delegates have Combine() and Remove() methods to add methods to the invocation list. Events use the = operator to assign an event handler and the AddEventHandler method to add event handlers.

In summary, delegates are function pointers that can be used to store a list of method references and pass methods as arguments to other methods. Events are a notification mechanism that uses delegates to handle what happens when an event is raised. Delegates can be passed as method parameters, while events are raised and cannot be passed as parameters.

Comparative Table: Delegates vs Events in C#

Here is a table that highlights the differences between delegates and events in C#:

In summary, delegates provide the foundation for creating callback mechanisms, while events offer a higher-level construct that encapsulates this functionality in a more controlled and abstracted manner.