.NET API Documentation

ThreadPoolWorkQueue.QueueUserWorkItemCallback

Namespace: System.Threading
Assembly: System.Runtime.dll

Represents the callback delegate used by the ThreadPool to queue work items. This internal delegate is used to bridge the gap between the ThreadPool and the underlying work queue implementation.

Syntax


public delegate void QueueUserWorkItemCallback(object state);
            

Parameters

Remarks

This delegate is an internal mechanism used by the .NET runtime to manage the execution of tasks on the thread pool. When you call methods like ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem, the runtime uses this delegate to wrap your callback and its associated state, enqueueing it for execution by a thread pool thread.

You typically do not need to interact with this delegate directly. It is part of the internal implementation details of the thread pool. For most asynchronous operations, consider using higher-level abstractions like Task or TaskFactory, which provide a more managed and feature-rich way to handle asynchronous programming.

Example

While direct usage is discouraged, conceptually, the thread pool might internally use a structure similar to this:


// Conceptual internal usage by the ThreadPool (not for direct developer use)

// Define a method to be executed by the thread pool
void MyTask(object data)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Executing task with data: {data}");
    Thread.Sleep(100); // Simulate work
    Console.WriteLine($"Task completed for data: {data}");
}

// When ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem is called, the runtime might do something like:

// 1. Create a delegate instance pointing to MyTask
// ThreadPoolWorkQueue.QueueUserWorkItemCallback callback = MyTask;

// 2. Queue this callback with the associated state
// SomeInternalThreadPoolQueue.Enqueue(() => callback("MyStateObject"));

// The actual implementation is more complex and involves internal queues and thread management.
            

See Also