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Comparison with lambdas

Context: Lambdas are more concise and expressive than anonymous methods. They are the preferred way to write inline functions in modern C#.

Syntax comparison

// Anonymous method
Func<int, int> anon = delegate(int x) { return x * x; };

// Lambda expression
Func<int, int> lambda = x => x * x;

Features exclusive to lambdas

Expression tree conversion (Expression<Func<T>>)
Natural type inference
Shorter syntax for single‑expression bodies

Expression<Func<int, int>> expr = x => x * x; // works with lambda only

When to use anonymous methods

You need to omit parameters (delegate with no parameters but still accept any)
You are targeting C# 2.0

Action act = delegate { Console.WriteLine("No params"); };
// Lambda would require () => ...

Real-world usage example

Modern .NET code: Always prefer lambdas. Anonymous methods are only used for backward compatibility.

Example: Microsoft documentation recommends lambdas for new development.