Mono Documentation

ECMA-334 C# Language Specification

22.2: Delegate instantiation

An instance of a delegate is created by a delegate-creation-expression (14.5.10.3). The newly created delegate instance then refers to either:

The static method referenced in the delegate-creation-expression, or
The target object (which cannot be null) and instance method referenced in the delegate-creation-expression, or

Another delegate [Example: For example:

delegate void D(int x);  
class Test  
{  
   public static void M1(int i)  {...}  
   public void M2(int i)    {...}  
}  
class Demo  
{  
   static void Main() {   
      D cd1 = new D(Test.M1); // static method  
      Test t = new Test();  
      D cd2 = new D(t.M2);   // instance method  
      D cd3 = new D(cd2);    // another delegate  
   }  
}

end example]

Once instantiated, delegate instances always refer to the same target object and method. [Note: Remember, when two delegates are combined, or one is removed from another, a new delegate results with its own invocation list; the invocation lists of the delegates combined or removed remain unchanged. end note]