How to close form GUI after checking existing file in PowerShell? - winforms

Question

I want to check an existing file, if the process still waiting for the file, it will display a GUI window. After the file is exist, the window will close automatically.
I tried this code, the window can not close, even the file already exist.
Checking the file:
$SN = "708TSTA"
$MAC = "2E5961370"
function Find {
$n = 0
while (-not (Get-ChildItem -Name "D:\SERVER\" | Where-Object {$_ -like "*$SN-$MAC*"})) {
Start-Sleep -s 1
D:\Auto\GUI.ps1
$n++
(Get-ChildItem -Name "D:\SERVER\" | Where-Object {$_ -like "*$SN-$MAC*"})
Write-Host "Attempt no $n"
}
Write-Host ">>Flag found after $n attempts"
return $true
}
if (Find) {
Write-Host "Found"
}
GUI.ps1:
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
[System.Windows.Forms.Application]::EnableVisualStyles()
$Form = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
$Form.ClientSize = '578,400'
$Form.Text = "Form"
$Form.BackColor = "#c1daf7"
$Form.WindowState = 'Maximized'
$Form.FormBorderStyle = "FixedDialog"
$Label1 = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$Label1.Text = "UNDER PROCESS"
$Label1.AutoSize = $true
$Label1.Width = 25
$Label1.Height = 10
$Label1.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(600,300)
$Label1.Font = 'Microsoft Sans Serif,30,style=Bold,Underline'
$Label1.ForeColor = "#d0021b"
$Label2 = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$Label2.Text = "WAITING"
$Label2.AutoSize = $true
$Label2.Width = 25
$Label2.Height = 10
$Label2.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(770,500)
$Label2.Font = 'Microsoft Sans Serif,20,style=Bold'
$Label2.ForeColor = "#fb0505"
$Check = Get-ChildItem -Name "D:\SERVER\" | Where-Object {$_ -like "*$SN-$MAC*"}
if($Check) {
Write-Host "File Exist"
$Form.Close()
}
$Form.Controls.AddRange(#($Label1,$Label2))
[void]$Form.ShowDialog()

Answer 1

Instead of doing Start-Sleep inside the GUI, it is better to use a timer so the form stays responsive.
I changed the code of the GUI.ps1 (not the way it looks) like this:
Param (
[string]$Path = '*.*',
[string]$MaxAttempts = 5
)
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
[System.Windows.Forms.Application]::EnableVisualStyles()
# set things up for the timer
$script:nAttempts = 0
$timer = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Timer
$timer.Interval = 1000 # 1 second
$timer.Add_Tick({
$global:Result = $null
$script:nAttempts++
$file = Get-Item -Path $Path
if ($file) {
$global:Result = [PSCustomObject]#{
Exists = $true
FileName = $file.FullName
Attempts = $script:nAttempts
}
$timer.Dispose()
$Form.Close()
}
elseif ($script:nAttempts -ge $MaxAttempts) {
$global:Result = [PSCustomObject]#{
Exists = $false
FileName = ''
Attempts = $script:nAttempts
}
$timer.Dispose()
$Form.Close()
}
})
$Form = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
$Form.ClientSize = '578,400'
$Form.Text = "Form"
$Form.BackColor = "#c1daf7"
$Form.WindowState = 'Maximized'
$Form.FormBorderStyle = "FixedDialog"
$Label1 = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$Label1.Text = "UNDER PROCESS"
$Label1.AutoSize = $true
$Label1.Width = 25
$Label1.Height = 10
$Label1.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(600,300)
$Label1.Font = 'Microsoft Sans Serif,30,style=Bold,Underline'
$Label1.ForeColor = "#d0021b"
$Label2 = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$Label2.Text = "WAITING"
$Label2.AutoSize = $true
$Label2.Width = 25
$Label2.Height = 10
$Label2.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(770,500)
$Label2.Font = 'Microsoft Sans Serif,20,style=Bold'
$Label2.ForeColor = "#fb0505"
$Form.Controls.AddRange(#($Label1,$Label2))
# start the timer as soon as the dialog is visible
$Form.Add_Shown({ $timer.Start() })
[void]$Form.ShowDialog()
# clean up when done
$Form.Dispose()
And to call it from your other script, use:
$SN = "708TSTA"
$MAC = "2E5961370"
function Test-FileExists {
$file = Get-Item -Path "D:\*$SN-$MAC*"
if ($file) {
$global:Result = [PSCustomObject]#{
Exists = $true
FileName = $file.FullName
Attempts = 1
}
}
else {
& "D:\GUI.ps1" -Path "D:\*$SN-$MAC*" -MaxAttempts 3
}
}
# call the function that can call the GUI.ps1 script
Test-FileExists
# check the Global result object
if ($global:Result.Exists) {
Write-Host "File '$($global:Result.FileName)' Exists. Found after $($global:Result.Attempts) attempts." -ForegroundColor Green
}
else {
Write-Host "File not found after $($global:Result.Attempts) attempts." -ForegroundColor Red
}
Update
As per your comments, I understand that the calling script should show the form (which does nothing more that show on screen) AND is responsible for closing it after the file has been found.
The code below should do what you ask by defining the $Form as a global variable and by using the .Show() method of the form instead of ShowDialog():
GUI.ps1
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
[System.Windows.Forms.Application]::EnableVisualStyles()
$global:Form = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form
$global:Form.ClientSize = '578,400'
$global:Form.Text = "Form"
$global:Form.BackColor = "#c1daf7"
$global:Form.WindowState = 'Maximized'
$global:Form.FormBorderStyle = "FixedDialog"
$global:Form.ControlBox = $false # hide sizing and close buttons
$global:Form.TopMost = $true
$Label1 = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$Label1.Text = "UNDER PROCESS"
$Label1.AutoSize = $true
$Label1.Width = 25
$Label1.Height = 10
$Label1.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(600,300)
$Label1.Font = 'Microsoft Sans Serif,30,style=Bold,Underline'
$Label1.ForeColor = "#d0021b"
$Label2 = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Label
$Label2.Text = "WAITING"
$Label2.AutoSize = $true
$Label2.Width = 25
$Label2.Height = 10
$Label2.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(770,500)
$Label2.Font = 'Microsoft Sans Serif,20,style=Bold'
$Label2.ForeColor = "#fb0505"
$global:Form.Controls.AddRange(#($Label1,$Label2))
# don't use ShowDialog() here because it will block the calling script
$global:Form.Show()
the calling script
function Test-FileExists {
[CmdletBinding()]
param (
[parameter(Mandatory = $true, ValueFromPipeline = $true, Position = 0)]
[string]$Path,
[string]$Pattern = '*.*'
)
$nAttempts = 1
$file = Get-ChildItem -Path $Path -Filter $Pattern -File | Select-Object -First 1
if (!$file) {
# show the GUI
& "D:\GUI.ps1"
do {
Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
$nAttempts++
Write-Verbose "Attempt No. $nAttempts"
$file = Get-ChildItem -Path $Path -Filter $Pattern -File | Select-Object -First 1
} until ($file)
# clean up the form
$global:Form.Dispose()
$global:Form = $null
}
Write-Verbose "File '$($file.FullName)' Exists. Found after $nAttempts attempt(s)."
return $true
}
$SN = "708TSTA"
$MAC = "2E5961370"
# call the function that can call the GUI.ps1 script
if (Test-FileExists -Path 'D:\SERVER\SHARE' -Pattern "*$SN-$MAC*" -Verbose) {
Write-Host "Found"
}
Hope that helps