First, the apology: I'm new to posting questions on this site, so I apologize for formatting or information errors.I have seen many answers to taking data from a serial port dropped on a form and using it to populate text boxes, graphs, etc. on the main form, using "Invoke" because the serial port is running in a different thread.
I am trying to "generalize" some comm stuff we use all the time in to a class (yes, the old VB6 programmer is trying to grow up :-) and I'm having issues. I can do some things if I force a form name in the main program.cs and use the same namespace for the class, but this sorta defeats the purpose. I've also tried adding an event on the "received" even of the serial port in the class to raise an event on the main form. The event tries to get raised but a cross thread exception occurs.
The code at this point is quite large, so I'll try to "outline" it. In simplistic form, assuming I have a for called "Form1" which contains a text box called textbox1 and a class called "SerialThing":
Form1:
SerialThing mySerialThing ;
Form1_Load:
mySerialThing = new SerialThing();
DisplayData()
Textbox1.Text = "You Got Data!";
SerialThing:
Static SerialPort myDevice;
Init()
myDevice = new SerialPort;
myDevice.DataReceived += new SerialDataReceivedEventHandler(devicePort_DataReceived);
devicePort_DataReceived()
this.Invoke(new EventHandler(DisplayData));
The above will work if the serial port is placed on the main form, but not if created inside the class.
Again, sorry if too complex, or too simplistic. I am looking for an "easy" way to do this, but keep the class "generalized" (ideally not have to have the workspace names match, etc).
-Vin
There are many, many ways to do this. I'll present the classic approach using a custom event, delegates, and Invoke(), as I think it's important to understand that process. Once you've got this down, you can jump to some of the newer approaches.
First, in your SerialThing() class, you declare a Custom event to pass out data when it is received:
class SerialThing
{
public delegate void DataReceivedDelegate(string data);
public event DataReceivedDelegate DataReceived;
static SerialPort myDevice;
public SerialThing()
{
myDevice = new SerialPort();
myDevice.DataReceived += new SerialDataReceivedEventHandler(myDevice_DataReceived);
}
void myDevice_DataReceived(object sender, SerialDataReceivedEventArgs e)
{
// ... grab the data and place into a string called "data" ...
string data = "";
// raise our custom event:
if (DataReceived != null)
{
DataReceived(data);
}
}
}
Now, over in Form1, you subscribe to that custom event when you create the instance of SerialThing. Additionally, when that event is received, you marshal the call from the secondary thread to the main thread using InvokeRequired, Invoke, and a delegate:
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
SerialThing mySerialThing;
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
mySerialThing = new SerialThing();
mySerialThing.DataReceived += new SerialThing.DataReceivedDelegate(mySerialThing_DataReceived);
}
private delegate void DataReceivedDelegate(string data);
void mySerialThing_DataReceived(string data)
{
if (this.InvokeRequired)
{
this.Invoke(new DataReceivedDelegate(mySerialThing_DataReceived), new Object[] { data });
}
else
{
textBox1.Text = data;
}
}
}
EDIT: In response to your comments below...
Think of a delegate as simply a "pointer to a method". When you execute the delegate, the associated method gets run.
The InvokeRequired() portion determines if the code is running in a different thread than the one that created the control. In this case, the control is the Form itself (this). If true is returned, then the event was received in a different thread. We then proceed to this.Invoke() line inside the true portion of the If block. Again this refers to the Form. Thus the Form is requesting to Invoke ("run") the passed delegate on the thread that created it (the main UI thread). We create a instance of the delegate that actually points to the same method we are already in resulting in a recursive call. The second parameter is simply an array of Object used to pass the parameters along with the delegate.
When Invoke() is run we end up re-entering the method because of the recursive call. At this point, however, the InvokeRequired() check will return false as we are now running in the main UI thread. Therefore we drop down into the false portion of the If statement where we update the TextBox. In this pattern it is safe to update an GUI controls in the else block of the If statement.
Note that a recursive call isn't necessary here. This is simply a style choice. We could have instead used a second "helper" function that the delegate pointed to, and Invoked that instead. The recursive approach reduces the number of methods required.
This is perhaps the most verbose approach to solving this type of problem. I like it, though, as it shows the flow of events and data, and movement between the threads.
We could shorten all the Form code to just this, using anonymous delegates:
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
mySerialThing = new SerialThing();
mySerialThing.DataReceived += delegate (string data)
{
this.Invoke((MethodInvoker)(delegate() { textBox1.Text = data; }));
};
}
I don't know about you, but as a former VB6 programmer myself, that just looks weird when you first see that type of thing.
I've also used components that I know have things running in different
threads, yet the "form code" has never had to use the delegate stuff,
so maybe there's something that can be buried into the class?
Yes, it's possible to bake some "magic" into a class so that it raises events already on the main UI thread, thus not requiring any Invoke() calls. One way to do this is thru using a SynchronizationContext.
Another possibility for approaching this type of problem would be to use a BackgroundWorker() control which has events such as ProgressChanged() and RunWorkerCompleted() that are raised in the main UI thread for you (they do the necessary invoking type stuff under the hood for you).
Related
I have a piece of code that does some calculations and then calls the form.show command. Now I have a library (the revit api) that does not allow me to store variables in a project without being in the main thread.
The logical solution for this is to get the spawned thread to call the main thread using say a producer/consumer pattern with code looking a bit like this:
form.Show(owner);
while(AppIsRunning){
if(clicked)
commit();
else
Thread.sleep(100);
}
However when I do this the gui does not load fully (black background, no text in buttons ext.).
I have also tried doing this using the evoke method
private void BtnOK_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
Commit();
Invoke(Commit);
}
private void Invoke(Action commit)
{
commit.Invoke();
}
However this just tells me that it's not the main thread that's executing the commit function.
Is there another way to do this or am I just making an error.
Just to be clear I have a form.show(owner) command that throws an error if it's not executed by the main thread. I also have a commit() function that must be excused by the main thread or it throws an error. The execution must wait until a button press. But the main thread polling the gui thread for changing causes the program to hang. According to my google search it' s also possible to do something involving an external event to get back into the right context but the example given was using python to invoke c# code, is there a good way to raise an external event to get back into a given thread in c#?
Edit: based on some suggestions I have created the following code:
public class ThreadManager
{
static List<ThreadAble> orders = new List<ThreadAble>();
public static bool running = false;
public static void execute(ThreadAble action)
{
orders.Add(action);
}
static System.Timers.Timer timer;
public static void RegisterAPIThreadAndHold(ExternalCommandData commandData)
{
UIApplication uiapp = commandData.Application;
uiapp.Idling += Application_Idle;
}
private static void Application_Idle(Object o,IdlingEventArgs e)
{
if (orders.Count != 0)
{
ThreadAble f = orders.First();
orders.Remove(f);
f.execute();
}
}
}
public interface ThreadAble {
void execute();
}
However this does not appear to actually run when I use it as
public override Result Execute(ExternalCommandData commandData, ref string message, ElementSet elements)
Form frm = new OverviewForm(ExternalCommandData commandData);
frm.show()
ThreadManager.RegisterAPIThreadAndHold(commandData);
ThreadManager.Execute(new run_ThrowError())
where ThrowError.execute() is
Throw new Exception(" this is actually being executed" );
Your first example could work if you will replace Thread.Sleep by the System.Windows.Forms.Application.DoEvents(). It should give time to paint GUI and do not froze application completly.
form.Show(owner);
while(AppIsRunning){
if(clicked)
commit();
else
{
System.Windows.Forms.Application.DoEvents();
// Thread.sleep(100);
}
}
But this is not perfect solution to achieve this.
Better would be calling Dispatcher.Invoke command inside your dialog to perform MainThread operations.
You can use i.e. GalaSoft library - please refer to DispatcherHelper object documentation and samples.
The two ways to do this I'm aware of are with the External Event or the Idling event.
With the idling event, you'll register it, and while it is registered, your code (in the main thread) will get a callback from Revit every time that it's not busy with something else. Often a few times per second.
Once you are in the Idling callback, then you're able to create transactions and interact with the model. So your callback checks the state of the form and decides whether there is something to do.
The External Event works similarly in terms of registration, but you're able to request a trigger of the callback.
Jeremy Tammik must have 20 posts on thebuildingcoder.typepad.com on Modeless dialog / Revit stuff.
For a simple solution to this, please refer to the Revit SDK ModelessDialog ModelessForm_ExternalEvent sample application. It demonstrates exactly what you are asking for.
In .NET, Windows Forms have an event that fires before the Form is loaded (Form.Load), but there is no corresponding event that is fired AFTER the form has loaded. I would like to execute some logic after the form has loaded.
Can anyone advise on a solution?
You could use the "Shown" event: MSDN - Form.Shown
"The Shown event is only raised the first time a form is displayed; subsequently minimizing, maximizing, restoring, hiding, showing, or invalidating and repainting will not raise this event."
I sometimes use (in Load)
this.BeginInvoke((MethodInvoker) delegate {
// some code
});
or
this.BeginInvoke((MethodInvoker) this.SomeMethod);
(change "this" to your form variable if you are handling the event on an instance other than "this").
This pushes the invoke onto the windows-forms loop, so it gets processed when the form is processing the message queue.
[updated on request]
The Control.Invoke/Control.BeginInvoke methods are intended for use with threading, and are a mechanism to push work onto the UI thread. Normally this is used by worker threads etc. Control.Invoke does a synchronous call, where-as Control.BeginInvoke does an asynchronous call.
Normally, these would be used as:
SomeCodeOrEventHandlerOnAWorkerThread()
{
// this code running on a worker thread...
string newText = ExpensiveMethod(); // perhaps a DB/web call
// now ask the UI thread to update itself
this.Invoke((MethodInvoker) delegate {
// this code runs on the UI thread!
this.Text = newText;
});
}
It does this by pushing a message onto the windows message queue; the UI thread (at some point) de-queues the message, processes the delegate, and signals the worker that it completed... so far so good ;-p
OK; so what happens if we use Control.Invoke / Control.BeginInvoke on the UI thread? It copes... if you call Control.Invoke, it is sensible enough to know that blocking on the message queue would cause an immediate deadlock - so if you are already on the UI thread it simply runs the code immediately... so that doesn't help us...
But Control.BeginInvoke works differently: it always pushes work onto the queue, even it we are already on the UI thread. This makes a really simply way of saying "in a moment", but without the inconvenience of timers etc (which would still have to do the same thing anyway!).
First time it WILL NOT start "AfterLoading",
It will just register it to start NEXT Load.
private void Main_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
//Register it to Start in Load
//Starting from the Next time.
this.Activated += AfterLoading;
}
private void AfterLoading(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.Activated -= AfterLoading;
//Write your code here.
}
I had the same problem, and solved it as follows:
Actually I want to show Message and close it automatically after 2 second. For that I had to generate (dynamically) simple form and one label showing message, stop message for 1500 ms so user read it. And Close dynamically created form. Shown event occur After load event. So code is
Form MessageForm = new Form();
MessageForm.Shown += (s, e1) => {
Thread t = new Thread(() => Thread.Sleep(1500));
t.Start();
t.Join();
MessageForm.Close();
};
You could also try putting your code in the Activated event of the form, if you want it to occur, just when the form is activated. You would need to put in a boolean "has executed" check though if it is only supposed to run on the first activation.
Here are some details added to previous correct answers, especially the one by Matthias Schippling.
Add an event handler in Form1_Load, like this:
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.Shown += new EventHandler(Form1_Shown);
}
Next, add the method that will do something with the code
private void Form1_Shown(Object sender, EventArgs e)
{
draw_on_my_form_or_some_other_action();
}
This an old question and depends more upon when you need to start your routines. Since no one wants a null reference exception it is always best to check for null first then use as needed; that alone may save you a lot of grief.
The most common reason for this type of question is when a container or custom control type attempts to access properties initialized outside of a custom class where those properties have not yet been initialized thus potentially causing null values to populate and can even cause a null reference exceptions on object types. It means your class is running before it is fully initialized - before you have finished setting your properties etc. Another possible reason for this type of question is when to perform custom graphics.
To best answer the question about when to start executing code following the form load event is to monitor the WM_Paint message or hook directly in to the paint event itself. Why? The paint event only fires when all modules have fully loaded with respect to your form load event. Note: This.visible == true is not always true when it is set true so it is not used at all for this purpose except to hide a form.
The following is a complete example of how to start executing you code following the form load event. It is recommended that you do not unnecessarily tie up the paint message loop so we'll create an event that will start executing your code outside that loop.
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace MyProgramStartingPlaceExample
{
/// <summary>
/// Main UI form object
/// </summary>
public class Form1 : Form
{
/// <summary>
/// Main form load event handler
/// </summary>
public Form1()
{
// Initialize ONLY. Setup your controls and form parameters here. Custom controls should wait for "FormReady" before starting up too.
this.Text = "My Program title before form loaded";
// Size need to see text. lol
this.Width = 420;
// Setup the sub or fucntion that will handle your "start up" routine
this.StartUpEvent += StartUPRoutine;
// Optional: Custom control simulation startup sequence:
// Define your class or control in variable. ie. var MyControlClass new CustomControl;
// Setup your parameters only. ie. CustomControl.size = new size(420, 966); Do not validate during initialization wait until "FormReady" is set to avoid possible null values etc.
// Inside your control or class have a property and assign it as bool FormReady - do not validate anything until it is true and you'll be good!
}
/// <summary>
/// The main entry point for the application which sets security permissions when set.
/// </summary>
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
Application.Run(new Form1());
}
#region "WM_Paint event hooking with StartUpEvent"
//
// Create a delegate for our "StartUpEvent"
public delegate void StartUpHandler();
//
// Create our event handle "StartUpEvent"
public event StartUpHandler StartUpEvent;
//
// Our FormReady will only be set once just he way we intendded
// Since it is a global variable we can poll it else where as well to determine if we should begin code execution !!
bool FormReady;
//
// The WM_Paint message handler: Used mostly to paint nice things to controls and screen
protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
{
// Check if Form is ready for our code ?
if (FormReady == false) // Place a break point here to see the initialized version of the title on the form window
{
// We only want this to occur once for our purpose here.
FormReady = true;
//
// Fire the start up event which then will call our "StartUPRoutine" below.
StartUpEvent();
}
//
// Always call base methods unless overriding the entire fucntion
base.OnPaint(e);
}
#endregion
#region "Your StartUp event Entry point"
//
// Begin executuing your code here to validate properties etc. and to run your program. Enjoy!
// Entry point is just following the very first WM_Paint message - an ideal starting place following form load
void StartUPRoutine()
{
// Replace the initialized text with the following
this.Text = "Your Code has executed after the form's load event";
//
// Anyway this is the momment when the form is fully loaded and ready to go - you can also use these methods for your classes to synchronize excecution using easy modifications yet here is a good starting point.
// Option: Set FormReady to your controls manulaly ie. CustomControl.FormReady = true; or subscribe to the StartUpEvent event inside your class and use that as your entry point for validating and unleashing its code.
//
// Many options: The rest is up to you!
}
#endregion
}
}
I know this is an old post. But here is how I have done it:
public Form1(string myFile)
{
InitializeComponent();
this.Show();
if (myFile != null)
{
OpenFile(myFile);
}
}
private void OpenFile(string myFile = null)
{
MessageBox.Show(myFile);
}
You can close your form after some execution..
//YourForm.ActiveForm.Close();
LoadingForm.ActiveForm.Close();
We want to display a "Loading, please wait..." screen before the application starts executing other functions on a Win CE 5.0 powered device. The application is being developed using .NET Compact Framework 3.5 (C#).
The issue is that, the UI is only updated once the set of current processes are completed, to a stage where other functions will only run with user interaction. C# has a Form.Shown() event, which would allow the application to run other functions, only ONCE the form has been displayed. However, the Compact-Framework does NOT include.
The solution I've approached was using multi-threading, where I would have one thread which would display the "Loading, please wait..." screen, and the other would take care of other function.
The issue with Threading is, when managing UI components, it gives an error if not applied the correct techniques:
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
ThreadStart tstart = new ThreadStart(showLoad);
Thread t1 = new Thread(tstart);
Thread t2 = new Thread(checkConnect);
t1.Start();
t2.Start();
}
private void checkConnect()
{
conn.portConnect(); //Connects to port Successfully
if (conn.isConnected == true) //Variable which checks the connectivity status
{
panelMENUshow();
}
else
{
panelCONFIGshow();
}
}
private void showLoad()
{
if (imgLoading.InvokeRequired)
{
imgLoading.Invoke((Action)(() => imgLoading.Show())); //Image box displaying "Loading, please wait..." shows successfully if I use Control.Invoke
}
//If I don't use Control.Invoke I get the following error:
//"Control.Invoke must be used to interact with controls created on a separate thread."
}
On the showLoad() function, it is not a problem to add Control.Invoke. However, the functions panelMENUshow() and panelCONFIGshow() contains many bits of code that manages UI components, and it would be not practical to use Control.Invoke in every line of code referring to a UI component.
Is there a way of:
stopping the threading but carry on running the code that involves UI management?
practically manage UI components within a thread?
PS: The approach was based on the answer of this post.
Use the refresh function to force the control to be immediately redrawn.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.control.refresh(v=vs.90).aspx
When writing WinForm apps you want to keep the complexities of threading away from the main UI thread. I've seen too many applications with thread code weaving in and out of them, tying the logic into a knot.
Instead, model anything that requires any kind of threading as a component that, while it may use threads internally, presents a friendly, even-based model to the outside world. These components should not have any direct interaction with your UI.
Given that, your code would look something more like this (just an example, not syntax checked and probably with lots of typos etc, but it will give you an idea):
public class CommunicationObject
{
// you will probably have several EventArgs to define to pass extra info
public event EventHandler<EventArgs> Connected;
// you need this instance to dispatch events to the UI thread
private Control _invoker;
public CommunicationObject(Control invoker)
{
_invoker = invoker;
// start a thread here, or better yet, add an Enabled property or
// Start method to kick it off
}
// from the thread that is doing the real work, call this when you are connected
private void OnConnected()
{
_invoker.Invoke(() =>
{
EventHandler<EventArgs> handler = Connected;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(this, EventArgs.Empty); // eventually you might need your own event args
}
});
}
}
public class Form1 : Form
{
private CommunicationObject _comm;
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
imgLoading.Show(); // show msg until connected
_comm = new CommunicationObject(this);
_comm.Connected += Comm_Connected; // wire up event handler
}
private void Comm_Connected(object src, EventArgs e)
{
if (imgLoading.Visible)
{
imgLoading.Hide(); // hide once connected
}
panelMENUshow();
}
}
Note that the form has no threads in it at all. Push that complexity into stand-alone objects. It might seem like a bit more work, but you will thank yourself later!
I am making a WinForms program, which requires separate threads
For readability and maintainability, i have separated all non-GUI code out into different classes. This class also 'generates' another class, which does some processing. However, i have now run into the issue where i need to change a WinForms control (append a string to textbox) from a thread that was initiated in a different class
I have searched around, and found solutions for different threads, and in different classes, but not both and the solutions provided seem incompatible (to me)
This may be the biggest 'lead' however: How to update UI from another thread running in another class
Class Hierarchy example:
class WinForm : Form
{
...
Server serv = new Server();
}
// Server is in a different thread to winform
class Server
{
...
ClientConnection = new ClientConnection();
}
// Another new thread is created to run this class
class ClientConnection
{
//Want to modify winform from here
}
I understand that eventhandlers are probably the way to go, but i can't work out how to do so in this situation (I am also open to other suggestions ;) )
Any help appreciated
It does not matter from which class you are updating the form. WinForm controls have to be updated on the same thread that they were created on.
Hence, Control.Invoke, allows you to execute a method on the control on its own thread. This is also called asynchronous execution, since the call is actually queued up and executed separately.
Look at this article from msdn, the example is similar to your example. A separate class on a separate thread updates a list box on the Form.
----- Update
Here you do not have to pass this as a parameter.
In your Winform class, have a public delegate that can update the controls.
class WinForm : Form
{
public delegate void updateTextBoxDelegate(String textBoxString); // delegate type
public updateTextBoxDelegate updateTextBox; // delegate object
void updateTextBox1(string str ) { textBox1.Text = str1; } // this method is invoked
public WinForm()
{
...
updateTextBox = new updateTextBoxDelegate( updateTextBox1 ); // initialize delegate object
...
Server serv = new Server();
}
From the ClientConnection Object, you do have to get a reference to the WinForm:Form object.
class ClientConnection
{
...
void display( string strItem ) // can be called in a different thread from clientConnection object
{
Form1.Invoke( Form1.updateTextBox, strItem ); // updates textbox1 on winForm
}
}
In the above case, 'this' is not passed.
you can use backgroundworker to make your other thread,
it allow you to deal easily with your GUI
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc221403(v=vs.95).aspx
I've searched a ton, but I can't seem find anything relating to my specific problem.
I want to be able to update my MainUI form from another class (SocketListener) and within that I have a thread that handles the networking (clientThread). Right now I can run simple outputs from the networking thread such as writing to the debugger output and creating a MessageBox.
But what I really want to do is be able to invoke code from the clientThread that will do things on my MainUI instance. How can I do this?
Also, if anyone wants specific portions of the code then I can post it to help give you a better understanding of what I'm asking.
Best regards!
Check the InvokeRequired of the Control class, and if it's true, then call the Invoke and pass in a delegate (usually an anonymous method) that does what you want to do on the client's thread.
Example:
public void DoWork(Form form)
{
if (form.InvokeRequired)
{
// We're on a thread other than the GUI thread
form.Invoke(new MethodInvoker(() => DoWork(form)));
return;
}
// Do what you need to do to the form here
form.Text = "Foo";
}
Yes, you could add a constructor to your class that takes the MainUI form as a parameter. That is the quick way to do it, but it introduces a "backward" dependency from your class to the MainUI where, in theory, no dependency is required.
As an alternative, I would suggest adding a public event to your class that the MainUI form could then subscribe to. When your class needs to update the MainUI (or controls within the MainUI), the class would simply "raise" the event. This will call the MainUI's method that it registered at the time of subscription. Since it is a method of the MainUI form already, all you have to do is update the appropriate controls on the form, making sure to take the InvokeRequired property of each control into account.
And when doing that, here's the construct I've been using in all my code.
class NetworkEventArgs : EventArgs { /* defined class here */ }
private void NetworkEventHandler(object sender, NetworkEventArgs e)
{
Invoke( ( MethodInvoker ) delegate {
myTextBox.Text = e.Message;
}
}
I've based this on the blog entry here. I have not had this approach fail me, so I see no reason to complicate my code with a recursive check of the InvokeRequired property.
you can define an event your clientThread class
and handle it in mainform
when clientThread needs aware mainform to do something(like update some control status)
you should Fire the event
so mainform gets paramter from event and invokes update function