How to pass parameters to ThreadStart method in Thread?

Solution 1:

The simplest is just

string filename = ...
Thread thread = new Thread(() => download(filename));
thread.Start();

The advantage(s) of this (over ParameterizedThreadStart) is that you can pass multiple parameters, and you get compile-time checking without needing to cast from object all the time.

Solution 2:

Look at this example:

public void RunWorker()
{
    Thread newThread = new Thread(WorkerMethod);
    newThread.Start(new Parameter());
}

public void WorkerMethod(object parameterObj)
{
    var parameter = (Parameter)parameterObj;
    // do your job!
}

You are first creating a thread by passing delegate to worker method and then starts it with a Thread.Start method which takes your object as parameter.

So in your case you should use it like this:

    Thread thread = new Thread(download);
    thread.Start(filename);

But your 'download' method still needs to take object, not string as a parameter. You can cast it to string in your method body.

Solution 3:

You want to use the ParameterizedThreadStart delegate for thread methods that take parameters. (Or none at all actually, and let the Thread constructor infer.)

Example usage:

var thread = new Thread(new ParameterizedThreadStart(download));
//var thread = new Thread(download); // equivalent

thread.Start(filename)