Function pointers, Closures, and Lambda

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A lambda (or closure) encapsulates both the function pointer and variables. This is why, in C#, you can do:

int lessThan = 100;
Func<int, bool> lessThanTest = delegate(int i) {
   return i < lessThan;
};

I used an anonymous delegate there as a closure (it’s syntax is a little clearer and closer to C than the lambda equivalent), which captured lessThan (a stack variable) into the closure. When the closure is evaluated, lessThan (whose stack frame may have been destroyed) will continue to be referenced. If I change lessThan, then I change the comparison:

int lessThan = 100;
Func<int, bool> lessThanTest = delegate(int i) {
   return i < lessThan;
};

lessThanTest(99); // returns true
lessThan = 10;
lessThanTest(99); // returns false

In C, this would be illegal:

BOOL (*lessThanTest)(int);
int lessThan = 100;

lessThanTest = &LessThan;

BOOL LessThan(int i) {
   return i < lessThan; // compile error - lessThan is not in scope
}

though I could define a function pointer that takes 2 arguments:

int lessThan = 100;
BOOL (*lessThanTest)(int, int);

lessThanTest = &LessThan;
lessThanTest(99, lessThan); // returns true
lessThan = 10;
lessThanTest(100, lessThan); // returns false

BOOL LessThan(int i, int lessThan) {
   return i < lessThan;
}

But, now I have to pass the 2 arguments when I evaluate it. If I wished to pass this function pointer to another function where lessThan was not in scope, I would either have to manually keep it alive by passing it to each function in the chain, or by promoting it to a global.

Though most mainstream languages that support closures use anonymous functions, there is no requirement for that. You can have closures without anonymous functions, and anonymous functions without closures.

Summary: a closure is a combination of function pointer + captured variables.

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