Form Load -> show form... then do stuff

[Chris Thunell]

Right now I have a vb.net windows form project that does a whole bunch of
things on the form.load event. The problem with this is that the user does
not see the form until all the those things are done.

Is there a way for a form to be shown first AND THEN have it automatically
start to run through my code? (perhaps a different event??? form.paint,
form.activate)

Right now... the form is running but the user can't see it, and so they end
up clicking on the application to run again and the user thinks the program
is slow... AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!!!! :)

I would like:
Basically the form would load
i would have a status bar that says "loading data"... and then the form
would then show the data once it's loaded

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Chris Thunell
ct******@pierceassociates.com

[Don]

I've come across the same issue in my program. My solution was to add a
timer to the form that is started at the last possible moment in the
Form.Load event. This timer lasts only one millisecond. When the timer's
Tick event fires, it calls a sub I called DelayedFormLoad. Code put in this
sub is executed immediately after the form becomes visible.

What I actually did was a little different from what I described above (I
just wanted to keep the initial explanation simple). I actually put all
this code in a base form from which all my other forms inherit. This base
form would raise a DelayedFormLoad event when the timer ticks off one
millisecond after the Form.Load event instead of just calling a sub. This
provides all child forms with a DelayedFormLoad event which can be handled
just like the Load event in my other forms.

- Don

[Jeff Gaines]

On 31/08/2005 Chris Thunell wrote:

I would like:
Basically the form would load
i would have a status bar that says "loading data"... and then the
form would then show the data once it's loaded

Use a global boolean variable called something like m_blnActivated, set
it to false, then put all your stuff in the Form Activate event but
only run it if m_blnActivated is false. After the first run set
m_blnActivated to true so it doesn't run again.

I have just used this technique in an app where I had the same issue as
you.

--
Jeff Gaines

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Chris,

You can replace all your not real formloading code to the form_activated
event and than set in it

\\\
static done as boolean
if not done then
....
....
done = true
end if
///

I hope this helps,

Cor

[Mona]

Hi Chris,
How are you doing?

I would suggest you to start your project with a form with a progress or
some message informing the users that the application is loading
and in this form put up the code for loading your real form. When the real
form has completed loading you may place the first startup form
to hide/unload in the real form's activate event.

I hope this is helpful.
Thanks
Mona
[Grapecity]

"Chris Thunell" <ct******@pierceassociates.com> wrote in message
news:Oa**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Right now I have a vb.net windows form project that does a whole bunch of
things on the form.load event. The problem with this is that the user does not see the form until all the those things are done.

Is there a way for a form to be shown first AND THEN have it automatically
start to run through my code? (perhaps a different event??? form.paint,
form.activate)

Right now... the form is running but the user can't see it, and so they end up clicking on the application to run again and the user thinks the program is slow... AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!!!! :)

I would like:
Basically the form would load
i would have a status bar that says "loading data"... and then the form
would then show the data once it's loaded

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Chris Thunell
ct******@pierceassociates.com

[mf_sina]

I think the best way is to put a timer control on a form. so when form is
loaded, timer control will start and put your codes there.
you can set any timerinterval for that timer which in my perspective is the
best solution for your question.

"Mona" <mo**@discussions.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Hi Chris,
How are you doing?

I would suggest you to start your project with a form with a progress or
some message informing the users that the application is loading
and in this form put up the code for loading your real form. When the real
form has completed loading you may place the first startup form
to hide/unload in the real form's activate event.

I hope this is helpful.
Thanks
Mona
[Grapecity]

"Chris Thunell" <ct******@pierceassociates.com> wrote in message
news:Oa**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Right now I have a vb.net windows form project that does a whole bunch of
things on the form.load event. The problem with this is that the user

does

not see the form until all the those things are done.

Is there a way for a form to be shown first AND THEN have it
automatically
start to run through my code? (perhaps a different event??? form.paint,
form.activate)

Right now... the form is running but the user can't see it, and so they

end

up clicking on the application to run again and the user thinks the

program

is slow... AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!!!! :)

I would like:
Basically the form would load
i would have a status bar that says "loading data"... and then the form
would then show the data once it's loaded

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Chris Thunell
ct******@pierceassociates.com

[Chris Dunaway]

Do you want your users to be able to interact with the form once it is
shown? If so, then you might want to look at spawning a new thread to
perform the long running process.

If the users should *not* interact with the form until after the
loading process has completed, then use one of the techniques posted by
other users but show a splash form to indicate that the program is
still loading.

[Jeff J.]

To simply show the form before other processes run, I use this:
Me.Show()
Me.Refresh()
Application.DoEvents()

To indicate the form isn't yet ready for use, I prefer some kind of
status message combined with an hourglass.
sbpStatusBar_MessagePanel.Text = "Loading..."
Me.Cursor = Windows.Forms.Cursors.WaitCursor

Of course, to be certain these appear to the user, place them before
the Refresh() call.

HTH

Jeff J.