configurable timer interval for a windows service.

[hazz]

Is it possible to have the timer interval in a window's service be derived
from an app.config setting?

When I implemented one a while back I was forced to hard code the value
because it wasn't working. There didn't appear to be any problem with the
code that extracts the value from the key in the config file.

Thanks,
-hazz

[Andy]

Sure you can do that; just have to be sure to cast the value from the
config file to an int or double (depending on which timer you're
using).

HTH
Andy

hazz wrote:

Is it possible to have the timer interval in a window's service be derived
from an app.config setting?

When I implemented one a while back I was forced to hard code the value
because it wasn't working. There didn't appear to be any problem with the
code that extracts the value from the key in the config file.

Thanks,
-hazz

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

hazz,

I would argue that you shouldn't use the config file. Rather, I would
open an endpoint through remoting which has a method which will allow you to
set the timer interval. Then, you can have a UI endpoint which will set
this.

No need to stop the service and restart so you can configure the timer
interval.

Hope this helps.
--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com

"hazz" <gr*********@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:e$**************@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

Is it possible to have the timer interval in a window's service be derived
from an app.config setting?

When I implemented one a while back I was forced to hard code the value
because it wasn't working. There didn't appear to be any problem with the
code that extracts the value from the key in the config file.

Thanks,
-hazz

[hazz]

Thanks Nicholas for this excellent idea. How do I do this? Thanks. -Greg

"Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]" <mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com> wrote in
message news:e9**************@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

hazz,

I would argue that you shouldn't use the config file. Rather, I would
open an endpoint through remoting which has a method which will allow you
to set the timer interval. Then, you can have a UI endpoint which will
set this.

No need to stop the service and restart so you can configure the timer
interval.

Hope this helps.
--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com

"hazz" <gr*********@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:e$**************@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

Is it possible to have the timer interval in a window's service be
derived from an app.config setting?

When I implemented one a while back I was forced to hard code the value
because it wasn't working. There didn't appear to be any problem with the
code that extracts the value from the key in the config file.

Thanks,
-hazz

[hazz]

Thanks for the heads up on the cast Andy. -Greg

"Andy" <aj*****@alum.rit.edu> wrote in message
news:11**********************@y41g2000cwy.googlegr oups.com...

Sure you can do that; just have to be sure to cast the value from the
config file to an int or double (depending on which timer you're
using).

HTH
Andy

hazz wrote:

Is it possible to have the timer interval in a window's service be
derived
from an app.config setting?

When I implemented one a while back I was forced to hard code the value
because it wasn't working. There didn't appear to be any problem with the
code that extracts the value from the key in the config file.

Thanks,
-hazz

[Andy]

You'd probably need to look into either remoting or using System.Net
and doing some socket level stuff.

It is much more involved than reading a setting from a config file;
whether or not you implement this idea depends on how important it is
to be able to change the timer intervals without restarting the
service.

Keep in mind too that if you have a network port open for this purpose,
anyone else might be able to send data to your service as well.

HTH
Andy

hazz wrote:

Thanks Nicholas for this excellent idea. How do I do this? Thanks. -Greg

[hazz]

Maybe the following would be good enough. If during the init process of the
service, when its started or restarted, it can obtain a new interval from a
config file. The exe won't have to recompiled/redeploy if someone wants to
change the interval. Thanks, -Greg

private void InitializeComponent()

System.Timers.Timer timer1 = new System.Timers.Timer();
timer1.Elapsed += new
System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.timer1_Elap sed);
int interval =
Convert.ToInt32(System.Configuration.Configuration Settings.AppSettings["interval"]);
timer1.Interval = interval ;
timer1.Enabled = true;

"Andy" <aj*****@alum.rit.edu> wrote in message
news:11**********************@b68g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

You'd probably need to look into either remoting or using System.Net
and doing some socket level stuff.

It is much more involved than reading a setting from a config file;
whether or not you implement this idea depends on how important it is
to be able to change the timer intervals without restarting the
service.

Keep in mind too that if you have a network port open for this purpose,
anyone else might be able to send data to your service as well.

HTH
Andy

hazz wrote:

Thanks Nicholas for this excellent idea. How do I do this?
Thanks. -Greg

[hazz]

I changed that to double as that is what the interval property is.

double interval =
Convert.ToDouble(System.Configuration.Configuratio nSettings.AppSettings["interval"]);
timer1.Interval = interval;

But it doesn't work at all. The hard code value did work. hmmmmm.......

"hazz" <gr*********@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

Maybe the following would be good enough. If during the init process of
the service, when its started or restarted, it can obtain a new interval
from a config file. The exe won't have to recompiled/redeploy if someone
wants to change the interval. Thanks, -Greg

private void InitializeComponent()

System.Timers.Timer timer1 = new System.Timers.Timer();
timer1.Elapsed += new
System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.timer1_Elap sed);
int interval =
Convert.ToInt32(System.Configuration.Configuration Settings.AppSettings["interval"]);
timer1.Interval = interval ;
timer1.Enabled = true;

"Andy" <aj*****@alum.rit.edu> wrote in message
news:11**********************@b68g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

You'd probably need to look into either remoting or using System.Net
and doing some socket level stuff.

It is much more involved than reading a setting from a config file;
whether or not you implement this idea depends on how important it is
to be able to change the timer intervals without restarting the
service.

Keep in mind too that if you have a network port open for this purpose,
anyone else might be able to send data to your service as well.

HTH
Andy

hazz wrote:

Thanks Nicholas for this excellent idea. How do I do this?
hanks. -Greg

[hazz]

Error: The designer cannot process the code at line 56:
interval =
Convert.ToDouble(System.Configuration.Configuratio nSettings.AppSettings["interval"]);
The code within the method 'InitializeComponent' is generated by the
designer and should not be manually modified. Please remove any changes and
try opening the designer again.

hmmmm

"hazz" <gr*********@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:eJ*************@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

I changed that to double as that is what the interval property is.

double interval =
Convert.ToDouble(System.Configuration.Configuratio nSettings.AppSettings["interval"]);
timer1.Interval = interval;

But it doesn't work at all. The hard code value did work. hmmmmm.......

"hazz" <gr*********@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

Maybe the following would be good enough. If during the init process of
the service, when its started or restarted, it can obtain a new interval
from a config file. The exe won't have to recompiled/redeploy if someone
wants to change the interval. Thanks, -Greg

private void InitializeComponent()

System.Timers.Timer timer1 = new System.Timers.Timer();
timer1.Elapsed += new
System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(this.timer1_Elap sed);
int interval =
Convert.ToInt32(System.Configuration.Configuration Settings.AppSettings["interval"]);
timer1.Interval = interval ;
timer1.Enabled = true;

"Andy" <aj*****@alum.rit.edu> wrote in message
news:11**********************@b68g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

You'd probably need to look into either remoting or using System.Net
and doing some socket level stuff.

It is much more involved than reading a setting from a config file;
whether or not you implement this idea depends on how important it is
to be able to change the timer intervals without restarting the
service.

Keep in mind too that if you have a network port open for this purpose,
anyone else might be able to send data to your service as well.

HTH
Andy

hazz wrote:
Thanks Nicholas for this excellent idea. How do I do this?
anks. -Greg

[Andy]

Well, do what it says, and move the code out of the
InitializeComponent.

I suggest you move it into the OnStart handler.

Also, doing your Convert should be wrapped in a Try Catch incase the
value doesn't exist or isn't a double number; in your catch, you can
throw the exception, or set a default interval value (and log a
warning).

HTH
Andy
hazz wrote:

Error: The designer cannot process the code at line 56:
interval =
Convert.ToDouble(System.Configuration.Configuratio nSettings.AppSettings["interval"]);
The code within the method 'InitializeComponent' is generated by the
designer and should not be manually modified. Please remove any changes and
try opening the designer again.

hmmmm

[hazz]

Thanks Andy. I got the configurable timer interval service to work !
I followed your advise and that of Peter in a later post. I moved all
the code to the onstart and made the timer and interval static at the class
level
I used MessageBoxes throughout the OnStart try block as needed to find out
which lines of code were working and which weren't.
That is how I discovered I needed to make the timer a static at the class
level because it was erroring out saying the object hadn't been created, ie.
the timer.
Then I deleted those but kept the messagebox in the catch block for the
moment.
Relevant code is below.
Thanks again. -Greg

public class Service1 : System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase
{
static public System.Timers.Timer timer1;
static double interval;
***code **
protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
try
{
System.Timers.Timer timer1 = new System.Timers.Timer();
timer1.Elapsed += new
System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(timer1_Elapsed);
interval =
Convert.ToDouble(System.Configuration.Configuratio nSettings.AppSettings["interval"]);
timer1.Interval = interval;
timer1.Enabled = true;
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("In OnStart Component" + ex.ToString());
}
"Andy" <aj*****@alum.rit.edu> wrote in message
news:11**********************@m73g2000cwd.googlegr oups.com...

Well, do what it says, and move the code out of the
InitializeComponent.

I suggest you move it into the OnStart handler.

Also, doing your Convert should be wrapped in a Try Catch incase the
value doesn't exist or isn't a double number; in your catch, you can
throw the exception, or set a default interval value (and log a
warning).

HTH
Andy
hazz wrote:

Error: The designer cannot process the code at line 56:
interval =
Convert.ToDouble(System.Configuration.Configuratio nSettings.AppSettings["interval"]);
The code within the method 'InitializeComponent' is generated by the
designer and should not be manually modified. Please remove any changes
and
try opening the designer again.

hmmmm