how to run a window on a seperate thread

Hi,

I have some intensive code that is running on my main thread. I try to show a status update on a 'status form'. The problem that i have is that because it is running in the same thread the window is not responding to the user.

The user is now able to minimize, move the window because the code is too
busy on it's own work.
(and they are all running on the same thread)

From a workerthread call form.Dispatch or control.Dispatch with an
appropriote delegate which performs the update. The code attached to the
delegate should contain some UI update code and will be executed in UI
thread.

covered under multi-threaded asynchronous delegates. A classic use would be to maintain a form responsiveness for example while a list box is being
populated with a big database search. If you could post some code from your answer above that would be great. Or, point to some simple sample in the
documentation would really help my learning curve on this.

Form1
-------
+ has a listbox listBox1
+ has a button button1
private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
FillLBThread fillLB = new FillLBThread(listBox1);
System.Threading.Thread tr = new System.Threading.Thread(
new System.Threading.ThreadStart(fillLB.Run) );
tr.Start();
}

FillLBThread
-------------
public class FillLBThread
{
private delegate void InsertLb (object item);
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb_; //store reference

public FillLBThread(System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb/*,other stuff...*/) {
lb_ = lb;
/* other stuff eg. needed for calculation*/
}

public void Run ()
{
// so some lenghty operation, update the listbox with new items
for (int i=0; i<5000; ++i)
{
lb_.Invoke(
new InsertLb(InsertLbImpl),
new object[] { "Test" + i.ToString() } );
}
}

public void InsertLbImpl(object item)
{
// this will run in UI thread
lb_.Items.Add ( item );
lb_.Update()
}
}

you could also store a few items, and update the list every 10 or so,

HTH
greetings

Hi HTH

Very cool, thanks! Now when I get do the updating of that list box with
FillLBThread being on a different remote machine. I'll really feel like a
genius, errr I mean expert. I guess a web service comes but I think I'm
looking at all that component RealProxy business.

Thanks again,

Richard

Form1
-------
+ has a listbox listBox1
+ has a button button1
private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
FillLBThread fillLB = new FillLBThread(listBox1);
System.Threading.Thread tr = new System.Threading.Thread(
new System.Threading.ThreadStart(fillLB.Run) );
tr.Start();
}

FillLBThread
-------------
public class FillLBThread
{
private delegate void InsertLb (object item);
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb_; //store reference

public FillLBThread(System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb/*,other

stuff...*/)

{
lb_ = lb;
/* other stuff eg. needed for calculation*/
}

public void Run ()
{
// so some lenghty operation, update the listbox with new items
for (int i=0; i<5000; ++i)
{
lb_.Invoke(
new InsertLb(InsertLbImpl),
new object[] { "Test" + i.ToString() } );
}
}

public void InsertLbImpl(object item)
{
// this will run in UI thread
lb_.Items.Add ( item );
lb_.Update()
}
}

you could also store a few items, and update the list every 10 or so,

HTH
greetings

I didn't see any Dispatch method of a form. I see this is all proably
My mistake, should be Invoke.

covered under multi-threaded asynchronous delegates. A classic use would

be

to maintain a form responsiveness for example while a list box is being
populated with a big database search. If you could post some code from

your

answer above that would be great. Or, point to some simple sample in the
documentation would really help my learning curve on this.

A very basic example, but it depends mostly on how much information you

want to exchange between threads and if the worker thread must be re-usable,
etc...

Form1
-------
+ has a listbox listBox1
+ has a button button1
private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
FillLBThread fillLB = new FillLBThread(listBox1);
System.Threading.Thread tr = new System.Threading.Thread(
new System.Threading.ThreadStart(fillLB.Run) );
tr.Start();
}

FillLBThread
-------------
public class FillLBThread
{
private delegate void InsertLb (object item);
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb_; //store reference

public FillLBThread(System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb/*,other stuff...*/) {
lb_ = lb;
/* other stuff eg. needed for calculation*/
}

public void Run ()
{
// so some lenghty operation, update the listbox with new items
for (int i=0; i<5000; ++i)
{
lb_.Invoke(
new InsertLb(InsertLbImpl),
new object[] { "Test" + i.ToString() } );
}
}

public void InsertLbImpl(object item)
{
// this will run in UI thread
lb_.Items.Add ( item );
lb_.Update()
}
}

you could also store a few items, and update the list every 10 or so,

HTH
greetings

thanks John.
An interesting article.

Also, FYI, I found another good article at http://www.vbcafe.com
it has 2 articles on threads which are very well explained.

Regards,

Serge

"Jhon" <Jh**@a.a> wrote in message
news:4Y********************@phobos.telenet-ops.be...

I didn't see any Dispatch method of a form. I see this is all proably

My mistake, should be Invoke.

covered under multi-threaded asynchronous delegates. A classic use would

be

to maintain a form responsiveness for example while a list box is

being populated with a big database search. If you could post some code from

your

answer above that would be great. Or, point to some simple sample in the documentation would really help my learning curve on this.

A very basic example, but it depends mostly on how much information you

want

to exchange between threads and if the worker thread must be re-usable,
etc...

Form1
-------
+ has a listbox listBox1
+ has a button button1
private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
FillLBThread fillLB = new FillLBThread(listBox1);
System.Threading.Thread tr = new System.Threading.Thread(
new System.Threading.ThreadStart(fillLB.Run) );
tr.Start();
}

FillLBThread
-------------
public class FillLBThread
{
private delegate void InsertLb (object item);
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb_; //store reference

public FillLBThread(System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb/*,other

stuff...*/)

{
lb_ = lb;
/* other stuff eg. needed for calculation*/
}

public void Run ()
{
// so some lenghty operation, update the listbox with new items
for (int i=0; i<5000; ++i)
{
lb_.Invoke(
new InsertLb(InsertLbImpl),
new object[] { "Test" + i.ToString() } );
}
}

public void InsertLbImpl(object item)
{
// this will run in UI thread
lb_.Items.Add ( item );
lb_.Update()
}
}

you could also store a few items, and update the list every 10 or so,

HTH
greetings

wrong link
"Serge" <se**********@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3f***********************@reader1.news.skynet .be...

thanks John.
An interesting article.

Also, FYI, I found another good article at http://www.vbcafe.com
it has 2 articles on threads which are very well explained.

Regards,

Serge

"Jhon" <Jh**@a.a> wrote in message
news:4Y********************@phobos.telenet-ops.be...

> I didn't see any Dispatch method of a form. I see this is all proably
My mistake, should be Invoke.

> covered under multi-threaded asynchronous delegates. A classic use would be
> to maintain a form responsiveness for example while a list box is being > populated with a big database search. If you could post some code from your
> answer above that would be great. Or, point to some simple sample in the > documentation would really help my learning curve on this.

A very basic example, but it depends mostly on how much information you

want

to exchange between threads and if the worker thread must be

re-usable, etc...

Form1
-------
+ has a listbox listBox1
+ has a button button1
private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
FillLBThread fillLB = new FillLBThread(listBox1);
System.Threading.Thread tr = new System.Threading.Thread(
new System.Threading.ThreadStart(fillLB.Run) );
tr.Start();
}

FillLBThread
-------------
public class FillLBThread
{
private delegate void InsertLb (object item);
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb_; //store reference

public FillLBThread(System.Windows.Forms.ListBox lb/*,other

stuff...*/)

{
lb_ = lb;
/* other stuff eg. needed for calculation*/
}

public void Run ()
{
// so some lenghty operation, update the listbox with new items for (int i=0; i<5000; ++i)
{
lb_.Invoke(
new InsertLb(InsertLbImpl),
new object[] { "Test" + i.ToString() } );
}
}

public void InsertLbImpl(object item)
{
// this will run in UI thread
lb_.Items.Add ( item );
lb_.Update()
}
}

you could also store a few items, and update the list every 10 or so,

HTH
greetings