Delayed Execution In VB.NET - wpf

I am in need to delay the execution of a line of code, say, by 5 seconds. But by doing
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(5000)
the whole UI hangs and I don't want that to happen. Because I want to be able to display something in a Window that a user will be able to see. Does anyone know of an alternative of achieving this?
Thanks!

Use could use an Timer that executes once after 5 seconds. In WPF you will normally use a DispatcherTimer.
dispatcherTimer = New Threading.DispatcherTimer()
AddHandler dispatcherTimer.Tick, AddressOf dispatcherTimer_Tick
dispatcherTimer.Interval = New TimeSpan(0,0,5)
dispatcherTimer.Start()
Private Sub dispatcherTimer_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
dispatcherTimer.Stop();
'' Your code to be executed after 5 seconds
End Sub

Related

how to get window idle time

I am new in vb.net WPF coding, need advice how to get idle time on window to prevent dispatcher timer if user is using app?
dispatcher should execute only if window idle time is greater then 1 minute
Public Sub dispatcherTimer_Tick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
naloziDGV1()
naloziDGV2()
naloziDGV3()
End Sub

Accessing form controls during Timer.Elapsed event [duplicate]

This question already has an answer here:
Prevent using Dispatcher.Invoke in WPF code
(1 answer)
Closed 7 years ago.
I have a WPF application written in VB.net. I'm trying to access a form control during a timer event, but the code is throwing an exception. Below is my code:
Public WithEvents attendanceFetchTimer As System.Timers.Timer
Private Sub Window_Loaded(sender As Object, e As RoutedEventArgs)
attendanceFetchTimer = New System.Timers.Timer(cfgAttFetchInterval)
AddHandler attendanceFetchTimer.Elapsed, New ElapsedEventHandler(AddressOf getAllDeviceAttendance)
attendanceFetchTimer.Enabled = True
End Sub
Private Sub getAllDeviceAttendance(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As ElapsedEventArgs) Handles attendanceFetchTimer.Elapsed
If(checkBox1.isChecked) Then
'Do something here change the textbox value
txtStatus1.Text = "Getting Attendance Data Done!"
End If
End Sub
The problem is that when I debug, the checkBox1.isChecked is showing this message:
"Cannot evaluate expression because we are stopped in a place where garbage collection is impossible, possibly because the code of the current method may be optimized."
and in the console this error message is displayed:
"A first chance exception of type 'System.InvalidOperationException' occurred in WindowsBase.dll"
The same problem happens when I try to change the text of txtStatus1.
The System.InvalidOperationException looks like it is caused by cross-thread access to a UI component. The System.Timers.Timer by default fires the Elapsed event on a thread pool thread. Using DispatcherTimer and the Tick event will get things on the right thread for accessing the UI in WPF.
It also looks like you may have duplicate event handlers wired up, since you have both WithEvents/Handles and AddHandler, but I'm not entirely sure how that works in WPF. You probably want something like (untested):
Private attendanceFetchTimer As System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherTimer
Private Sub Window_Loaded(sender As Object, e As RoutedEventArgs)
attendanceFetchTimer = New System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherTimer()
AddHandler attendanceFetchTimer.Tick, AddressOf getAllDeviceAttendance
attendanceFetchTimer.Interval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(cfgAttFetchInterval)
attendanceFetchTimer.Start()
End Sub
Private Sub getAllDeviceAttendance(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
If(checkBox1.isChecked) Then
'Do something here change the textbox value
txtStatus1.Text = "Getting Attendance Data Done!"
End If
End Sub

host WPF windows in another WPF window

here is my problem: i have created a main window called mainWindow in XAML (vb.net) and inside i have 2 buttons (valid and stop) and a grid in the center.
I have two others little windows (valid window and stop window) written in XAML (vb.net) which have buttons, textbox...
I want, when i click on valid button or stop button, display the valid window or the stop window inside the grid of my mainWindow, so i have this code in my mainWindow.vb:
enter code here
Private Sub valid_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs) Handles valid.Click
Dim content As Object = valid_.Content /*Classe valid_ (a window in xaml)*/
valid_.Content = Nothing
Me.Grid.Children.Add(content)
End Sub
Private Sub stop_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs) Handles stop.Click
Dim content As Object = stop_.Content
stop_.Content = Nothing
Me.Grid.Children.Add(content)
End Sub
So when i click on button valid in my mainWindow, it's ok it displays the valid window in my grid.
First problem: then when i click on button stop in my mainWindow, the stop window is placed just above the valid window, it is not nice, is there a way to clear the grid before display this second window?
And finally, the biggest problem: i need to click many times on valid button or stop button but when i click the second time i have a null reference exception: Me.Grid.Children.Add(content) content is null after the first call so i am only able to click one time on my button.
How can i fix it in order to click many times on my buttons please?
I give you thanks.
Yet again, someone writes some invalid code and then says why isn't this code working? If you look at your code, you should see something:
Private Sub valid_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs) Handles valid.Click
Dim content As Object = valid_.Content /*Classe valid_ (a window in xaml)*/
Me.Grid.Children.Add(content)
End Sub
I'm guessing that you have a private variable for your Valid Window as you call it: valid. On this line, what are you doing to your variable?:
valid_.Content = Nothing
That's right! You're setting its Content property to null. Therefore, I'm not really sure why you were surprised that it was null after the first attempt.
How can i fix it in order to click many times on my buttons please?
Try removing the line that sets the Content property to null.
UPDATE >>>
Your problem is really caused by the fact that you cannot display any UI element in two places at once. Your whole idea of copying the Window.Content to your DataGrid is entirely wrong, but in the name of brevity, your fix is simply to move your content back to the Window, rather than setting it to null each time. Try something like this:
Private Sub valid_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs) Handles valid.Click
If Me.Grid.Children.Count > 0 Then 'Put content back where it belongs
Dim oldContent = Me.Grid.Children(0)
stop.Content = oldContent
Me.Grid.Children.Remove(oldContent)
EndIf
Dim content As Object = valid_.Content /*Classe valid_ (a window in xaml)*/
valid_.Content = Nothing
Me.Grid.Children.Add(content)
End Sub
Please forgive any code mistakes, as I don't write VB.NET. Also, you'll need to update your other method likewise.

Vb.NET instruction execution not triggered by event

I have a very basic question on vb.NET, so basic that I didn't find any answer elsewhere.
I've written with VB express a code that is a simple form proposing various choices through checkboxes.
These choices have to be registered in an array, which I convert later into a textfile to be Perl-processed.
I'm searching a way to zeroise this big array with loops before use, but in fact I don't know how to execute instructions which wouldn't be triggered by events in my main form.
The frame looks like that :
Public Class Form1
'Variables declaration...
'Several boxes like that :
Private Sub CheckBox1_CheckedChanged(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles CheckBox1.CheckedChanged
'Instructions...
End Sub
End Class
To launch this application, I simply click on the associated .exe file.
Basically, my question is :
is there a way to execute instructions that wouldn't be launched by an user event, but immediatly launched when the main Form1 is shown ?
Sorry for being retarded, and thank you in advance if you can help me.
The Form.Load event for instance gets launched as soon as the form is about to be shown :)
The Form will raise a Shown event when it is shown simply handle that:
Private Sub Form_Shown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Shown
'Instructions...
End Sub
It can be better to do initialisation in the constructor right after the Winforms designer adds the comment: 'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call

Threaded Function has multiple parameters and returns data

I am working on a WPF .NET 3.5 application that does a few long tasks that I would like to make a seperate thread to the UI thread to process the data and then when completed update some labels in the UI. The problem I am having is that the function I have uses two parameters and I am struggling to work out how to call a function with multiple parameters in a thread and update the UI.
I have been playing around with using a Delegate Sub to call the function (it is located in a seperate Class), and my code was also attempting to return a dataset from the function for the calling thread to update the UI, but I am not sure if this is the best practice to achieve this or wether I should use a dispatcher for the called function to do the UI updating (feedback would be greatly appreciated).
My code is as follows.
Private Delegate Sub WorkHandler(ByVal input1 As String, ByVal input2 As String)
Private Sub Window_Loaded(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
Dim test_helper As New test_global
Dim worker As New WorkHandler(AddressOf test_helper.getWeatherData)
worker.BeginInvoke("IDA00005.dat", "Adelaide", AddressOf weatherCallBack, Nothing)
' The following is what I was using prior to attempting to work with threads, do I continue to update the UI here getting the called function to return a dataset, or do I have the called function do the UI updating?
'Dim ls As DataSet = test_helper.getWeatherData("IDA00005.dat", "Adelaide")
'Dim f_date As String = ls.Tables("weather").Rows(1).Item(3).ToString
End Sub
Public Sub weatherCallBack(ByVal ia As IAsyncResult)
CType(CType(ia, Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.AsyncResult).AsyncDelegate, WorkHandler).EndInvoke(ia)
End Sub
And my function that I am attempting to call is as follows:
Class test_global
Public Sub getWeatherData(ByVal filename As String, ByVal location As String) 'As DataSet
...
End Sub
End Class
My problem is if I was to have the calling thread to update the UI, how do I have the called thread to return a dataset, or if the called thread is to update the UI, how do I go about achieving this?
Update:
Following the recomendations provided, I have impletemented a BackgroundWorker that raises a DoWork and RunWorkerCompleted events to get the data and update the UI, respectively. My updated code is as follows:
Class Weather_test
Implements INotifyPropertyChanged
Private WithEvents worker As System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker
Public Event PropertyChanged As PropertyChangedEventHandler Implements INotifyPropertyChanged.PropertyChanged
Private Sub NotifyPropertyChanged(ByVal info As String)
RaiseEvent PropertyChanged(Me, New PropertyChangedEventArgs(info))
End Sub
Private Sub Window_Loaded(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
Dim test_helper As New test_global
Dim worker = New System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker
worker.WorkerReportsProgress = True
worker.WorkerSupportsCancellation = True
Dim str() = New String() {"IDA00005.dat", "Adelaide"}
Try
worker.RunWorkerAsync(str)
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub worker_DoWork(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.DoWorkEventArgs) Handles worker.DoWork
Dim form_Helpder As New test_global
Dim ds As DataSet = form_Helpder.getWeatherData(e.Argument(0), e.Argument(1))
e.Result = ds
End Sub
Private Sub worker_Completed(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RunWorkerCompletedEventArgs) Handles worker.RunWorkerCompleted
If e.Error IsNot Nothing Then
MsgBox(e.Error.Message)
Else
...
NotifyPropertyChanged("lbl_minToday")
...
End If
End Sub
End Class
I then have in a seperate class my functions that get and process the data.
I am able to debug the code in Visual Studio 2010 and the form displays but the labels are not updating, and when I put a breakpoint at the RunWorkerAsync line the line is called and the Window_Loaded sub completes but it appears that none of the DoWork or RunWorkerCompleted events are called (well at least the functions are not).
Can anyone provide some assistance on how I can debug the code to see why these functions are not being called?
Also, is the above code the correct method that was recommended in the answers?
Any assistance provided will be greatly appreciated.
Matt
You should use the BackgroundWorker component.
You should call your function in the DoWork handler and set e.Result to the returned DataSet.
You can then update the UI in the RunWorkerCompleted handler.
Use a BackgroundWorker. Implement your long-running method, and pass the arguments to the method in the DoWorkEventArgs parameters of the DoWork event handler. Do not update the UI, either directly or indirectly (i.e. don't update properties of your view model), in this method.
Use progress reporting to update the UI while the method is running: call ReportProgress in the long-running method, passing any information that needs to appear in the UI in the UserState parameter. In the ProgressChanged event handler, get the state from the ProgressChangedEventArgs and update the UI (by, one hopes, updating the appropriate properties of your view model and raising PropertyChanged).
You'll need to implement a class to contain the user state for progress reporting, since UserState is of type object.
Note that you can also update the UI with the results of the long-running method when it's complete. This is done in a similar fashion to progress reporting: implement a class to contain the results, set the Result property of the DoWorkEventArgs to an instance of this class, and the result will be available in the Result property of the WorkCompletedEventArgs when the RunWorkerCompleted event is raised.
Make sure that you handle any exceptions that the long-running method raises by checking the Error property of the WorkCompletedEventArgs.
I don't have much experience with BackgroundWorker (I have only used it once), but it is definitely a solution to your problem. However, the approach I always use is to start a new Thread (not ThreadPool thread via delegates), which acquires a lock and then updates all of the properties. Provided that your class implements INotifyPropertyChanged, you can then use databinding to have the GUI automatically update any time the property changes. I have had very good results with this approach.
As far as passing a Dispatcher to your thread goes, I believe you can do that as well. However, I would tread lightly because I believe I have run into cases with this where the Dispatcher I think I'm using is no longer associated with the main thread. I have a library that needs to call a method that touches GUI elements (even though the dialog might not be displayed), and I solved this problem by using Dispatcher.Invoke. I was able to guarantee that I was using the Dispatcher associated with the main thread because my application uses MEF to Export it.
If you'd like more details about anything I've posted, please comment and I'll do my best to embellish on the topics.

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