隐喻性的解释:

我有一个包裹要寄给一个朋友，我也想知道我的朋友什么时候收到。

所以我把包裹带到邮局，让他们把它送到。如果我想知道我的朋友什么时候收到包裹，我有两个选择:

我可以在邮局等邮件送到。

(b)邮件送达后我会收到电子邮件。

选项(b)类似于回调。

为了教授回调，你必须先教授指针。一旦学生理解了指向变量的指针的概念，回调的概念就会变得更容易。假设您使用的是C/ c++，可以遵循这些步骤。

First show your students how to use and manipulate variables using pointers alongside using the normal variable identifiers. Then teach them there are things that can be done only with pointers(like passing a variable by reference). Then tell them how executable code or functions are just like some other data(or variables) in the memory. So, functions also have addresses or pointers. Then show them how functions can be called with function pointers and tell these are called callbacks. Now, the question is, why all these hassle for calling some functions? What is the benefit? Like data pointers, function pointer aka callbacks has some advantages over using normal identifiers. The first one is, function identifiers or function names cannot be used as normal data. I mean, you cannot make a data structure with functions(like an array or a linked list of functions). But with callbacks, you can make an array, a linked list or use them with other data like in dictionary of key-value pairs or trees, or any other things. This is a powerful benefit. And other benefits are actually child of this one. The most common use of callbacks is seen in event driver programming. Where one or more functions are executed based on some incoming signal. With callbacks, a dictionary can be maintained to map signals with callbacks. Then the input signal resolution and execution of corresponding code become much easier. The second use of callbacks coming in my mind is higher order functions. The functions which takes other functions as input arguments. And to send functions as arguments, we need callbacks. An example can be a function which take an array and a callback. Then it performs the callback on each of the item of the array and return the results in another array. If we pass the function a doubling callback, we get a doubled valued array. If we pass a squaring callback, we get squares. For square roots, just send appropriate callback. This cannot be done with normal functions.

可能还有更多的事情。让学生参与进来，他们就会发现。希望这能有所帮助。

A callback is a function that will be called by a second function. This second function doesn't know in advance what function it will call. So the identity of the callback function is stored somewhere, or passed to the second function as a parameter. This "identity," depending on the programming language, might be the address of the callback, or some other sort of pointer, or it might be the name of the function. The principal is the same, we store or pass some information that unambiguously identifies the function.

当时间到来时，第二个函数可以调用回调，根据当时的情况提供参数。它甚至可以从一组可能的回调中选择回调。编程语言必须提供某种语法，允许第二个函数调用回调函数，并知道它的“标识”。

这种机制有许多可能的用途。通过回调，函数的设计者可以通过调用所提供的任何回调来定制函数。例如，排序函数可能将回调函数作为参数，而这个回调函数可能是用于比较两个元素以决定哪个元素先出现的函数。

顺便说一下，根据编程语言的不同，上面讨论中的“函数”一词可能会被“块”、“闭包”、“lambda”等取代。

回呼是一个贴了邮票的回邮信封。当你调用一个函数时，就像发送一封信一样。如果您希望该函数调用另一个函数，则以引用或地址的形式提供该信息。

在计算机编程中，回调是对可执行代码或一段可执行代码的引用，它作为参数传递给其他代码。这允许较低级别的软件层调用较高级别的软件层定义的子例程(或函数)。——维基百科

在C语言中使用函数指针进行回调

在C语言中，回调是使用函数指针实现的。函数指针——顾名思义，是一个指向函数的指针。

例如，int (*ptrFunc) ();

这里，ptrFunc是一个指向不带参数并返回整数的函数的指针。不要忘记加上圆括号，否则编译器会认为ptrFunc是一个普通的函数名，它不接受任何参数，只返回一个指向整数的指针。

下面是演示函数指针的一些代码。

#include<stdio.h>
int func(int, int);
int main(void)
{
    int result1,result2;
    /* declaring a pointer to a function which takes
       two int arguments and returns an integer as result */
    int (*ptrFunc)(int,int);

    /* assigning ptrFunc to func's address */                    
    ptrFunc=func;

    /* calling func() through explicit dereference */
    result1 = (*ptrFunc)(10,20);

    /* calling func() through implicit dereference */        
    result2 = ptrFunc(10,20);            
    printf("result1 = %d result2 = %d\n",result1,result2);
    return 0;
}

int func(int x, int y)
{
    return x+y;
}

现在让我们尝试理解C语言中使用函数指针的回调概念。

完整的程序有三个文件:callback.c, reg_callback.h和reg_callback.c。

/* callback.c */
#include<stdio.h>
#include"reg_callback.h"

/* callback function definition goes here */
void my_callback(void)
{
    printf("inside my_callback\n");
}

int main(void)
{
    /* initialize function pointer to
    my_callback */
    callback ptr_my_callback=my_callback;                        
    printf("This is a program demonstrating function callback\n");
    /* register our callback function */
    register_callback(ptr_my_callback);                          
    printf("back inside main program\n");
    return 0;
}

/* reg_callback.h */
typedef void (*callback)(void);
void register_callback(callback ptr_reg_callback);


/* reg_callback.c */
#include<stdio.h>
#include"reg_callback.h"

/* registration goes here */
void register_callback(callback ptr_reg_callback)
{
    printf("inside register_callback\n");
    /* calling our callback function my_callback */
    (*ptr_reg_callback)();                               
}

如果我们运行这个程序，输出将是

这是一个演示函数回调的程序 内部register_callback 内部my_callback 回到主程序

上层函数像正常调用一样调用下层函数，而回调机制允许下层函数通过指向回调函数的指针调用上层函数。

Java中使用接口的回调

Java没有函数指针的概念 它通过接口机制实现回调机制 在这里，我们声明了一个接口，而不是函数指针，它有一个方法，当被调用方完成其任务时将被调用

让我通过一个例子来说明:

回调接口

public interface Callback
{
    public void notify(Result result);
}

调用者或更高级别的类

public Class Caller implements Callback
{
Callee ce = new Callee(this); //pass self to the callee

//Other functionality
//Call the Asynctask
ce.doAsynctask();

public void notify(Result result){
//Got the result after the callee has finished the task
//Can do whatever i want with the result
}
}

被调用者或底层函数

public Class Callee {
Callback cb;
Callee(Callback cb){
this.cb = cb;
}

doAsynctask(){
//do the long running task
//get the result
cb.notify(result);//after the task is completed, notify the caller
}
}

使用EventListener模式

列表项

此模式用于通知0到n个观察者/监听器某个特定任务已经完成

列表项

回调机制和EventListener/Observer机制之间的区别在于，在回调中，被调用方通知单个调用方，而在Eventlisener/Observer中，被调用方可以通知任何对该事件感兴趣的人(通知可能会到应用程序中尚未触发任务的其他部分)。

让我通过一个例子来解释。

事件接口

public interface Events {

public void clickEvent();
public void longClickEvent();
}

类部件

package com.som_itsolutions.training.java.exampleeventlistener;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Iterator;

public class Widget implements Events{

    ArrayList<OnClickEventListener> mClickEventListener = new ArrayList<OnClickEventListener>(); 
    ArrayList<OnLongClickEventListener> mLongClickEventListener = new ArrayList<OnLongClickEventListener>();

    @Override
    public void clickEvent() {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        Iterator<OnClickEventListener> it = mClickEventListener.iterator();
                while(it.hasNext()){
                    OnClickEventListener li = it.next();
                    li.onClick(this);
                }   
    }
    @Override
    public void longClickEvent() {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        Iterator<OnLongClickEventListener> it = mLongClickEventListener.iterator();
        while(it.hasNext()){
            OnLongClickEventListener li = it.next();
            li.onLongClick(this);
        }

    }

    public interface OnClickEventListener
    {
        public void onClick (Widget source);
    }

    public interface OnLongClickEventListener
    {
        public void onLongClick (Widget source);
    }

    public void setOnClickEventListner(OnClickEventListener li){
        mClickEventListener.add(li);
    }
    public void setOnLongClickEventListner(OnLongClickEventListener li){
        mLongClickEventListener.add(li);
    }
}

类按钮

public class Button extends Widget{
private String mButtonText;
public Button (){
} 
public String getButtonText() {
return mButtonText;
}
public void setButtonText(String buttonText) {
this.mButtonText = buttonText;
}
}

类复选框

public class CheckBox extends Widget{
private boolean checked;
public CheckBox() {
checked = false;
}
public boolean isChecked(){
return (checked == true);
}
public void setCheck(boolean checked){
this.checked = checked;
}
}

Activity类

包com.som_itsolutions.training.java.exampleeventlistener;

public class Activity implements Widget.OnClickEventListener
{
    public Button mButton;
    public CheckBox mCheckBox;
    private static Activity mActivityHandler;
    public static Activity getActivityHandle(){
        return mActivityHandler;
    }
    public Activity ()
    {
        mActivityHandler = this;
        mButton = new Button();
        mButton.setOnClickEventListner(this);
        mCheckBox = new CheckBox();
        mCheckBox.setOnClickEventListner(this);
        } 
    public void onClick (Widget source)
    {
        if(source == mButton){
            mButton.setButtonText("Thank you for clicking me...");
            System.out.println(((Button) mButton).getButtonText());
        }
        if(source == mCheckBox){
            if(mCheckBox.isChecked()==false){
                mCheckBox.setCheck(true);
                System.out.println("The checkbox is checked...");
            }
            else{
                mCheckBox.setCheck(false);
                System.out.println("The checkbox is not checked...");
            }       
        }
    }
    public void doSomeWork(Widget source){
        source.clickEvent();
    }   
}

其他类

public class OtherClass implements Widget.OnClickEventListener{
Button mButton;
public OtherClass(){
mButton = Activity.getActivityHandle().mButton;
mButton.setOnClickEventListner(this);//interested in the click event                        //of the button
}
@Override
public void onClick(Widget source) {
if(source == mButton){
System.out.println("Other Class has also received the event notification...");
}
}

主类

public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
Activity a = new Activity();
OtherClass o = new OtherClass();
a.doSomeWork(a.mButton);
a.doSomeWork(a.mCheckBox);
}
}

从上面的代码中可以看到，我们有一个名为events的接口，它基本上列出了应用程序可能发生的所有事件。Widget类是所有UI组件(如按钮、复选框)的基类。这些UI组件是实际从框架代码接收事件的对象。Widget类实现了Events接口，它也有两个嵌套接口，即OnClickEventListener和OnLongClickEventListener

These two interfaces are responsible for listening to events that may occur on the Widget derived UI components like Button or Checkbox. So if we compare this example with the earlier Callback example using Java Interface, these two interfaces work as the Callback interface. So the higher level code (Here Activity) implements these two interfaces. And whenever an event occurs to a widget, the higher level code (or the method of these interfaces implemented in the higher level code, which is here Activity) will be called.

Now let me discuss the basic difference between Callback and Eventlistener pattern. As we have mentioned that using Callback, the Callee can notify only a single Caller. But in the case of EventListener pattern, any other part or class of the Application can register for the events that may occur on the Button or Checkbox. The example of this kind of class is the OtherClass. If you see the code of the OtherClass, you will find that it has registered itself as a listener to the ClickEvent that may occur in the Button defined in the Activity. Interesting part is that, besides the Activity ( the Caller), this OtherClass will also be notified whenever the click event occurs on the Button.

回调函数是作为参数传递给另一个函数的函数(在某些时候使用)。

以下是一些函数:

def greeting(name):
    print("Hello " + name + "!")

def departing(name):
    print("Goodbye " + name + "!")

下面是一个函数(使用ourCallBack作为回调参数):

def promptForName(ourCallback):
    myName = input("Enter Name:")
    ourCallback(myName)

现在让我们使用一些回调!

promptForName(greeting) 
# Enter Name: 
# >Ed
# Hello Ed!

promptForName(departing) 
# Enter Name: 
# >Ed
# Goodbye Ed!

promptForName(greeting) 
# Enter Name: 
# >Guy
# Hello Guy!

我能够很快地扩展我的代码。

---

处理(错误和误导性的)答案:

回调并不意味着异步!

JS在2015年得到承诺，async/await在2017年得到承诺。在此之前，使用回调。

这就是为什么这里的一些答案没有意义，他们把两者混为一谈了!

它们通常用于异步代码，但我的示例是同步的。

回调并不意味着事件驱动!

它们通常用于事件处理，但我的示例不是事件。

回调并不意味着闭包!

虽然通常用作提供闭包的一种简洁方式，但我的示例并不是这样。

回调不是第一类函数的完整定义!

它是创建第一类函数定义的众多特性之一。

C语言可以使用函数指针作为回调函数，尽管它没有第一类函数。