Delegates
Delegates are a programming concept that allows methods to be passed as parameters, stored in variables, or invoked dynamically, enabling callback mechanisms and event-driven architectures. They are type-safe function pointers that define a method signature, commonly used in languages like C# and Swift to implement event handling, asynchronous operations, and decoupled communication between components.
Developers should learn delegates when building applications that require flexible method invocation, such as GUI event handling in desktop or mobile apps, implementing observer patterns, or managing asynchronous callbacks in multithreaded environments. They are essential for creating decoupled, maintainable code by allowing objects to communicate without tight dependencies, as seen in frameworks like .NET for events or in iOS development with Swift closures.