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Event handling - Visual Studio

I am having issue as described below. I am new to .NET/Visual Studio (2013) and I am trying to figure out why code below wont work.
I have following class
public class PropertySettings
{
...
// get single instance of this class
public static PropertySettings Instance
{
get { return thisInstance; }
}
// event declaration
public event EventHandler<MyObj> PropertyChanged;
...
public void SaveProperty(string propertyName, object obj)
{
var oldValue = obj.OldVal;
var newValue = obj.NewVal;
// Why is PropertyChanged event always null?
if (PropertyChanged != null && oldValue != newValue)
{
PropertyChanged(this, obj); // pass reference to itself
}
}
}
The SaveProperty method is checking that PropertyChanged != null and if so, it calls it by passing a reference to itself and obj.
Then the SaveProperty method is called from some other class like this:
PropertySettings.Instance.SaveProperty("Width", Width);
The problem I am having is that the PropertyChanged is always null so PropertyChanged event is never called.

If you have an instance of your class:
var x = new PropertySettings();
Then you need to "wire up" any event handlers like this:
// "wire up" AKA "subscribe to" AKA "register" event handler.
x.PropertyChanged += HandlePropertyChanged;
// e.g. event handler...
void HandlePropertyChanged(object sender, object e)
{
throw new NotImplementedException();
}
Otherwise, PropertyChanged == null will be true.

c# check if event is null

I have this event in a webservice:
public event FindProductsByCharacteristicsCompletedEventHandler FindProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted
{
[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.Synchronized)]
add
{
_findProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted += value;
}
[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.Synchronized)]
remove
{
_findProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted -= value;
}
}
And im then checking if the event value is null with this later in the class:
private void OnFindProductsByCharacteristicsOperationCompleted(object arg)
{
var handler = _findProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted;
if (handler == null)
return;
handler(this, new FindProductsByCharacteristicsCompletedEventArgs(completedEventArgs.Results, completedEventArgs.Error, completedEventArgs.Cancelled, completedEventArgs.UserState));
}

Your event implementation looks like it is an endless recursion. You are using the property itself in its implementation.
Change it to this:
private FindProductsByCharacteristicsCompletedEventHandler
_findProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted;
public event FindProductsByCharacteristicsCompletedEventHandler
FindProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted
{
[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.Synchronized)]
add
{
_findProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted += value;
}
[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.Synchronized)]
remove
{
_findProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted -= value;
}
}
And now, implement your method like this:
var handler = _findProductsByCharacteristicsCompleted;
if(handler == null)
return;
handler(this, new FindProductsByCharacteristicsCompletedEventArgs(...));
This has the advantage that it is thread-safe.
Even if someone detached the last handler from the event after you checked for null but before you actually raised the event, you would not get an exception, because you are operating on the unchanged local variable.

Handling OnPropertyChanged

I'm not well versed in event-based programming. Basically, I'm still stumbling around with it. I'm trying to get something set up, but even with the tutorials, I can't wrap my head around it. What I would like to do (in words) is the following:
I have a dataobject where a property changes. I notice this in the setter of the property, and want to raise an event that the property has changed.
Elsewhere (in a different class entirely), I want to know that the property on this object has changed, and take some action.
Now I'm sure this is a common enough scenario, but my google-fu is letting me down. I'm simply not understanding http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms743695.aspx.
I have this:
public class ChattyClass {
private int someMember;
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
public int SomeMember {
get {
return this.someMember;
}
set {
if (this.someMember != value){
someMember = value;
// Raise event/fire handlers. But how?
}
}
}
public class NosyClass{
private List<ChattyClass> myChatters;
public void addChatter(ChattyClass chatter){
myChatters.add(chatter);
// Start listening to property changed events
}
private void listner(){
// I want this to be called when the PropertyChangedEvent is called
Console.WriteLine("Hey! Hey! Listen! A property of a chatter in my list has changed!");
}
}
What do I do to wire this up?
Concerning the comment pointing me back to the link:
In the example I see:
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string name)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
}
What I'm not understanding:
Why isn't this just calling PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyCHangedEventArgs(name))
Where does PropertyChanged get assigned?
What does the assignment look like?

You have to fire the event. In the example on MSDN, they made a protected method OnPropertyChanged to handle this easier (and to avoid duplicate code).
// Create the OnPropertyChanged method to raise the event
protected void OnPropertyChanged(string name)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(name));
}
}
What this method does, is look whether there is an event handler assigned or not (if it is not assigned and you just call it, you'll get a NullReferenceException). If there is one assigned, call this event handler. The event handler provided, has to have the signature of the PropertyChangedEventHandler delegate. This signature is:
void MyMethod(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
Where the first parameter has to be of the type object and represents the object that fires the event, and the second parameter contains the arguments of this event. In this case, your own class fires the event and thus give this as parameter sender. The second parameter contains the name of the property that has changed.
Now to be able to react upon the firing of the event, you have to assign an event handler to the class. In this case, you'll have to assign this in your addChatter method. Apart from that, you'll have to first define your handler. In your NosyClass you'll have to add a method to do this, for example:
private void chatter_PropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
Console.WriteLine("A property has changed: " + e.PropertyName);
}
As you can see, this method corresponds to the signature I explained before. In the second parameter, you'll be able to find the information of which parameter has been changed. Last thing to do, is add the event handler. Now in your addChatter method, you'll have to assign this:
public void AddChatter(ChattyClass chatter)
{
myChatters.Add(chatter);
// Assign the event handler
chatter.PropertyChanged += new PropertyChangedEventHandler(chatter_PropertyChanged);
}
I would suggest you to read something about events in .NET / C#: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/awbftdfh . I think after reading/learning this, things will be more clear to you.
You can find a console application here on pastebin if you would like to test it quickly (just copy/paste into a new console application).
With newer versions of C#, you can inline the call to the event handler:
// inside your setter
PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(nameof(MyProperty)));
You could also use something like Fody PropertyChanged to automatically generated the necessary code (visit the link to their GitHub page, with samples).

The link that you looked is for the MVVM pattern and WPF. It is not a general C# implementation. You need something like this:
public event EventHandler PropertyChanged;
public int SomeMember {
get {
return this.someMember;
}
set {
if (this.someMember != value) {
someMember = value;
if (PropertyChanged != null) { // If someone subscribed to the event
PropertyChanged(this, EventArgs.Empty); // Raise the event
}
}
}
...
public void addChatter(ChattyClass chatter) {
myChatters.add(chatter);
chatter.PropertyChanged += listner; // Subscribe to the event
}
// This will be called on property changed
private void listner(object sender, EventArgs e){
Console.WriteLine("Hey! Hey! Listen! A property of a chatter in my list has changed!");
}
If you want to know what property has changed you need to change your event definition to:
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
And change the calling to:
public int SomeMember {
get {
return this.someMember;
}
set {
if (this.someMember != value){
someMember = value;
if (PropertyChanged != null) { // If someone subscribed to the event
PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs("SomeMember")); // Raise the event
}
}
}
private void listner(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e) {
string propertyName = e.PropertyName;
Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Hey! Hey! Listen! a {0} of a chatter in my list has changed!", propertyName));
}

why isn't this just calling PropertyChanged(this, new
PropertyCHangedEventArgs(name))
Because if no one attached an handler to the event, then the PropertyChanged object returns null. So you'll have to ensure it's not null before calling it.
where does PropertyChanged get assigned?
In the "listener" classes.
For example, you could write in other class:
ChattyClass tmp = new ChattyClass();
tmp.PropertyChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
Console.WriteLine(string.Format("Property {0} has been updated", e.PropertyName));
};
What does the assignment look like?
In C# we use the assignment operators += and -= for events. I recommend reading the following article to understand how to write event handlers using the anonymous method form (example above) and the "old" form.

From taking the original code, and incorporating #Styxxy 's answer, I come out with:
public class ChattyClass : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
private int someMember, otherMember;
public int SomeMember
{
get
{
return this.someMember;
}
set
{
if (this.someMember != value)
{
someMember = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Some Member");
}
}
}
public int OtherMember
{
get
{
return this.otherMember;
}
set
{
if (this.otherMember != value)
{
otherMember = value;
OnPropertyChanged("Other Member");
}
}
}
protected virtual void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
{
PropertyChangedEventHandler handler = PropertyChanged;
if (handler != null) handler(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
}
public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;
}
public class NosyClass
{
private List<ChattyClass> myChatters = new List<ChattyClass>();
public void AddChatter(ChattyClass chatter)
{
myChatters.Add(chatter);
chatter.PropertyChanged+=chatter_PropertyChanged;
}
private void chatter_PropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
{
Console.WriteLine("A property has changed: " + e.PropertyName);
}
}

How to write a Trigger?

I want my C# code to call an event whenever a value is assigned to my object.
How exactly would I need to go about that?
class MyClass {
ManualResetEvent mre;
public MyClass() {
mre = new ManualResetEvent(false);
Data = null;
}
public object Data { get; set; }
void DataSet(object sender, EventArgs e) {
Console.WriteLine("object Data has been set.");
mre.Set();
}
}
Delegates don't seem to be what I need. An event, maybe? How would I write such an event, if so?
MyClass mc;
void processA() {
mc = new MyClass();
mc.Data = GetDataFromLongProcess();
}

private object data;
public object Data {
get { return data;}
set {
if(value != data) {
data = value;
OnDataChanged();
}
}
}
protected virtual void OnDataChanged() {
EventHandler handler = DataChanged;
if(handler != null) handler(this, EventArgs.Empty);
}
public event EventHandler DataChanged;
then hook any code to the DataChanged event. For example:
MyClass mc = ...
mc.DataChanged += delegate {
Console.WriteLine("new data! wow!");
};

If you want to fire an event when your property is set, you would do something like this:
public event Action OnDataChanged;
protected object _data = null;
public object Data
{
get { return _data; }
set
{
_data = value;
if(OnDataChanged != null)
OnDataChanged();
}
}
Then you would simply wire up event handlers to your object like so:
mc = new MyClass();
mc.OnDataChanged += delegate() { Console.WriteLine("It changed!"); };
mc.Data = SomeValue();

I think you're on the right track with an event-based model. Also take a look at the Observer pattern (which is the basis for .Net delegates and events underneath it all, as I understand):
http://www.dofactory.com/Patterns/PatternObserver.aspx
But the bottom line, as the other useful answer so far (Mr. Gravell's implementation) indicates, you're going to have to have code IN the setter to get it hooked up. The only alternative would be to poll the value for changes, which just smells bad to me.

you could implement INotifyPropertyChanged (this is more or less a event) or you could take your class a Action (Trigger) and call this, whenn the property changed.
Just don't use automatic properties but a concrete setter and call your event/trigger from there.

Conceptually, you would define an event in your class, and in your property set blocks, you would invoke the event with the necessary arguments to determine what just happened.

public event SomeDelegateThatTakesIntAsParameter myEvent;
void SetData(int data)
{
if(myEvent!= null)
myEvent(data)
}

Custom event handler not getting initialized

Following is the Code i am using
class ImpersonatedTab : System.Windows.Forms.TabPage
{
Credentials _cred = new Credentials();
public delegate void Savesetting(TabData Tb);
public event Savesetting TriggerSaveSetting;
public ImpersonatedTab(TabData tb)
{
........
}
private void SaveData()
{
TriggerSaveSetting(_tabdata);
}
private Onclick()
{
SaveData();
}
}
When i call Onclick function within ImpersonatedTab class it returns error saying TriggerSaveSetting is null
I initialize this call like
ImpersonatedTab Tab = new ImpersonatedTab(tb);
Tab.TriggerSaveSetting += new ImpersonatedTab.Savesetting(Tab_TriggerSaveSetting);
i have created events earlier, but am not able to figure out whats wrong with this one.. i am sure should be some silly mistake.

One possible case where this could happen is if you try to call the event from within the constructor of the ImpersonatedTab class. There where you put those .... Also it is a good practice to check if the event handler has been initialized before calling it.

Change your code to this:
public delegate void Savesetting(TabData Tb);
private Savesetting saveSettingDlg;
public event Savesetting TriggerSaveSetting {
add { saveSettingDlg += value; }
remove { saveSettingDlg -= value; }
}
private void SaveData() {
var handler = saveSettingDlg;
if (handler != null) handler(_tabdata);
}
You can now set a breakpoint on the add accessor and SaveData() and verify that event subscription is working correctly. If you do see the add accessor getting called but still get a null for handler then there's a problem with the object reference.

You are trying to invoke the TriggerSaveSetting event handlers before any handler was attached to it. Make sure, to check, the event has been some handlers attached:
private void OnTriggerSaveSetting(_tabdata)
{
if (TriggerSaveSetting != null)
TriggerSaveSetting(_tabdata);
}