Delegate casting problem

[PJ6]

I have a generalized delegate,

Public Delegate Function DataRetreivingDelegate() as Object

with an associated property in a certain class. Almost never will I actually
be wanting to set the property of this delegate type to a method that
returns an Object - rather I want to point it to methods that will be
returning strings, integers, decimals, whatever.

So I tried this -

Public Shared Function GetSomething() as String

End Function

DirectCast(AddressOf GetSomething, DataRetreivingDelegate)

Only this doesn't work. Why doesn't the Framework allow method signature
return types to be up-casted?

Anyway, what's the best way around this without having to physically code
additional methods that return Objects? I know I can just use a raw
MethodInfo, but I don't want to complicate this any more than I have to
since performance will be a consideration.

TIA,
Paul

[Ken Tucker [MVP]]

Hi,

If you are using vb 2005 try this.

Public Delegate Function DataRetreivingDelegate(Of T)() As T

Public Function GetSomething() As String
Return "test"
End Function
Dim d As New DataRetreivingDelegate(Of String)(AddressOf
GetSomething)
Label1.Text = d.Invoke()
Ken
---------------------
"PJ6" <no***@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

I have a generalized delegate,

Public Delegate Function DataRetreivingDelegate() as Object

with an associated property in a certain class. Almost never will I
actually be wanting to set the property of this delegate type to a method
that returns an Object - rather I want to point it to methods that will be
returning strings, integers, decimals, whatever.

So I tried this -

Public Shared Function GetSomething() as String

End Function

DirectCast(AddressOf GetSomething, DataRetreivingDelegate)

Only this doesn't work. Why doesn't the Framework allow method signature
return types to be up-casted?

Anyway, what's the best way around this without having to physically code
additional methods that return Objects? I know I can just use a raw
MethodInfo, but I don't want to complicate this any more than I have to
since performance will be a consideration.

TIA,
Paul