UI update and delegate in another class doesnt work in separate thread - vb.net

In order to keep responsiveness in the UI, I use a separate thread to execute various process, for example some FTP download.
Private Sub Button11_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button11.Click
Dim ThreadResync As System.Threading.Thread
ThreadResync = New System.Threading.Thread(AddressOf Bodacc_ResyncFTP)
ThreadResync.Start()
End Sub
Sub Bodacc_ResyncFTP()
Dim MyBodacc As bodacc_data = New bodacc_data
MyBodacc.Label_Status = Form1.Label1
MyBodacc.ResyncFTP()
End Sub
A way to update the UI with threading is the Delegate thingy, so in the bodacc_data I had to
Public Class bodacc_data
......
Delegate Sub UpdateLabelDelg(text As String, ThisLabel As Label)
Public Delegate_label As UpdateLabelDelg = New UpdateLabelDelg(AddressOf set_label)
Public Label_Status = Label
......
Sub set_label(stext As String, ThisLabel As Label)
ThisLabel.Text = stext
End Sub
.....
Sub ResyncFTP()
//says hello
If Label_Status.InvokeRequired = True Then
Label_Status.Invoke(Delegate_label, New Object() {"Working...", Label_Status})
Else
Label_Status.Text = "Working..."
End If
//do stuff
End Sub
End Class
It works like a charm. But I have many class doing more or less the same (disk update, database update, FTP update) and having to copy/past all the delegate / external label declaration / mini sub / invoke sound silly.
So I created a class to handle those UI update / delegate in order to have a quick access
Public Class Form_UI
Delegate Sub UpdateLabelDelg(text As String, ThisLabel As Label)
Public Delegate_label As UpdateLabelDelg = New UpdateLabelDelg(AddressOf set_label)
Private Labels(2) As Label
Sub New()
Labels(0) = Form1.Label1
Labels(1) = Form1.Label2
Labels(2) = Form1.Label3
End Sub
Sub set_label(stext As String, ThisLabel As Label)
ThisLabel.Text = stext
End Sub
Public Sub ChangeLabel(ByVal LabelNum As Integer, nText As String)
LabelNum = LabelNum - 1
If Labels(LabelNum).InvokeRequired Then
Labels(LabelNum).Invoke(Delegate_label, New Object() {nText, Labels(LabelNum)})
Else
Labels(LabelNum).Text = nText
Labels(LabelNum).Update()
End If
End Sub
End Class
So, now in the revamped bodacc_data and all others processing class I have only :
Public Class bodacc_data
......
Private MyUI as Form_UI
.....
Sub New()
MyUI = New Form_UI()
End Sub
Sub ResyncFTP()
//says hello
MyUI.ChangeLabel(1, "Working...")
//do stuff
End Sub
End Class
Question Why is MyUI.ChangeLabel not updating when the ResyncFTP is called in a thread, but works if called in the main thread (As in the code sample below)
Private Sub Button11_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button11.Click
Dim MyBodacc As bodacc_data = New bodacc_data
MyBodacc.ResyncFTP()
End Sub
Note that there is no error thrown. The notable weirdness is that <Form_UI>.ChangeLabel() never goes the .Invoke route but the normal update route. I strongly suspect a scope issue or insight issue.

When you create a windows forms app you set up a UI thread that is meant to be the owner of all the UI. The UI thread contains the message pump that is used to update all of the UI.
But what you're doing in Button11_Click is creating a new thread that goes and calls Dim MyBodacc As bodacc_data = New bodacc_data which, in turn, calls MyUI = New Form_UI().
You are creating a form on a non-UI thread. There is no message pump and therefore the UI doesn't update.

Related

Change UI parameters using thread in separate class

I would like to be able to change an element of the main form inside a thread declared in a separated class (In this case I want to change a label text).
I tried the following code:
Form1:
Imports System.Threading
Public Class Form1
Public counter As Integer = 0
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim SecondClassObject As New SecondClass()
End Sub
End Class
SecondClass:
Imports System.Threading
Public Class SecondClass
Public Thread As New Thread(AddressOf Increment)
Public counter As Integer = 0
Sub New()
Thread.Start()
End Sub
Sub Increment()
While True
Form1.Label1.Text = counter
counter += 1
End While
End Sub
End Class
If I do the same thing using a thread but in the form code itself than the label text will change:
Imports System.Threading
Public Class Form1
Public counter As Integer = 0
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim thread As New Thread(AddressOf Increment)
thread.Start()
End Sub
Sub Increment()
While True
Label1.Text = counter
counter += 1
End While
End Sub
End Class
How should I do in order to archieve the same result using a thread in a separated class?
First, I do want to point out that you need to use an Invoke/Callback to safely set the label's text from the secondary thread. I don't know if you're doing that in your actual code base, but wanted to specify anyways.
Now, focused on the actual question, I believe that the easiest way to do as requested is to pass a reference to the original instance of Form1 to your SecondClass. Having a reference to the parent, means that you would be able to manipulate the parent's publicly exposed elements as needed.
Consider the below:
Public Class Form1
Public counter As Integer = 0
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim secondClass As New SecondClassObject(me)
End Sub
Delegate Sub SetTextCallback (value as String)
Public Sub SetText (value as string)
if me.Label1.InvokeRequired Then
dim d as New SetTextCallback(addressOf SetText)
Me.Invoke(d, New Object() {value})
Else
me.label1.text = value
End If
End Sub
End Class
Public Class SecondClassObject
private _parent as Form1
private myThread As New Thread(AddressOf Increment)
Public Sub New (byref p as Form1)
me._parent = p
myThread.Start()
End Sub
Sub Increment()
While True
Me._parent.SetText(counter)
counter += 1
End While
End Sub
End Class
What is happening is that the a reference to the parent is passed into the second class as a constructor, doing so allows us to interact with the parent from the second class.
Now, that is one way, but other options do exist. Things such as specialized events/handlers or wiring up databinding between the Form1.Label1 and a property exposed from the SecondClassObject. Even a singleton pattern, where the value to be incremented is shared between all instances, so when the SecondClassObject increments it, Form1 would be aware and know to update Label1.
Also, please note that the above code is for example purposes, and is missing things such as a defined declaration for Label1.
On windows it's not possible to change the UI from a non UI thread.
It looks like that you have to use Control.Invoke or better Control.BeginInvoke.
The problem with using Control.Invoke is that it's executed on the UI thread and the calling thread waits for completion. Which would be bad when your background worker continusly does some computations.

Raise Event Vb.net from worker Thread

I'm looking at a console app for vb.net. I'm trying to get a worker thread to raise an event to the main thread to display data on the screen (the word "HIT" everytime the worker thread completes a cycle). My code is below.
I'm not sure why but the main thread's Private Sub CounterClass_GivingUpdate() Handles _counter.AboutToDistributeNewupdate isn't executing.
Imports System.Threading
Module Module1
Private WithEvents _counter As CounterClass
Private trd As Thread
Sub Main()
While True
Dim s As String = Console.ReadLine()
Dim started As Boolean
Select Case s
Case "status"
WriteStatusToConsole("You typed status")
Case "startcounter"
If started = False Then
starttheThread()
started = True
WriteStatusToConsole("You Have Started The Timer")
Else
WriteStatusToConsole("YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED THE TIMER!!!")
End If
End Select
End While
End Sub
Private Sub CounterClass_GivingUpdate() Handles _counter.AboutToDistributeNewupdate
WriteStatusToConsole("Hit")
End Sub
Private Sub starttheThread()
Dim c As New CounterClass
trd = New Thread(AddressOf c.startProcess)
trd.Start()
End Sub
Sub WriteStatusToConsole(ByVal stringToDisplay As String)
Console.WriteLine(stringToDisplay)
End Sub
End Module
Public Class CounterClass
Public Event AboutToDistributeNewupdate()
Public Sub sendStatusUpdateEvent(ByVal updatestatus As String)
RaiseEvent AboutToDistributeNewupdate()
End Sub
Public Sub startProcess()
Dim i As Int64
Do
Thread.Sleep(1000)
i = i + 1
sendStatusUpdateEvent(i.ToString)
Loop
End Sub
End Class
Your CounterClass_GivingUpdate() only handles the _counter variable's event (the variable that you do not use!). Every time you declare a new CounterClass it has its own instance of the event that it raises.
You know have two options:
Option 1
Subscribe to the event for each new CounterClass instance you create. Meaning you must use the AddHandler statement every time you create a new instance of your class:
Private Sub starttheThread()
Dim c As New CounterClass
AddHandler c.AboutToDistributeNewupdate, AddressOf CounterClass_GivingUpdate
trd = New Thread(AddressOf c.startProcess)
trd.Start()
End Sub
Option 2
Mark the event as Shared to make it available without needing to create an instance of the class. For this you must also change how you subscribe to the event, by subscribing to it in your method Main():
Sub Main()
AddHandler CounterClass.AboutToDistributeNewupdate, AddressOf CounterClass_GivingUpdate
...the rest of your code...
End Sub
Private Sub CounterClass_GivingUpdate() 'No "Handles"-statement here.
WriteStatusToConsole("Hit")
End Sub
Public Class CounterClass
Public Shared Event AboutToDistributeNewupdate() 'Added the "Shared" keyword.
...the rest of your code...
End Class

Handling a timer from a class

I want some values in a class to decrease whenever the timer in the main form ticks. I am creating multiple instances of the same class as my program is a simulation application and I am not storing these instances in an array or any list in that matter. I simply declare them and add their picture box to the controls on the main form. However I am hoping to have a sub routine inside the class that triggers whenever the timer in the main form ticks. I thought of something like this:
Public Class Jimmy
Dim _a As Integer = 10
Sub decreseNum(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles mainapp.tmrLog.Tick
_a -= 1
End Sub
End Class
with mainapp being the name of the main form and tmrLog being the timer I want to associate my sub routine with. However the above code doesn't work
You could try defining a local reference to the timer in the Jimmy class:
Public Class Jimmy
Dim _a As Integer = 10
Private WithEvents tmr As Timer
Public Sub New(ByRef MainTmr As Timer)
tmr = MainTmr
End Sub
Sub decreseNum(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles tmr.Tick
_a -= 1
End Sub
End Class
If you want all your classes react to timer.elapsed event, just sign up for it. The program below is fully operational. It is example what you can do to have your children to react to timer events of single parent/timer
Imports System
imports system.timers
Public Module Module1
Public Sub Main()
dim mc as new MainClass()
mc.CreateChildren(5)
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(60000) ' wait and monitor output of childern
mc.Stop()
Console.WriteLine("All should stop now...")
Console.Read()
End Sub
End Module
public class MainClass 'This class could be your form
private _timer as new Timer(5000)
public sub CreateChildren(count as integer)
For i as integer = 1 to count
dim c as new Child(i)
Addhandler _timer.Elapsed, addressof c.DoWhentimerTicks
next
Console.WriteLine("timer should run now...")
_timer.Start()
end sub
public sub [Stop]()
_timer.Stop()
End Sub
End class
public class Child
private _myNO as integer
public sub new (no as integer)
_myNo = no
end sub
public sub DoWhentimerTicks(sender as object , e as ElapsedEventArgs)
Console.WriteLine(string.format("Child #{0} just ticked. Time = {1}", _myNo, e.signaltime))
end sub
End class
I found my solution, posting here for further reference.
My situation was trying to have my timer in the mainform triggering a sub in a class, and I used the following solution.
Class:
Sub addHandlesToSub
AddHandler Form1.Timer1.Tick, AddressOf subToBeTriggered
End Sub
Sub subToBeTriggered(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
'My code
End Sub
The parameters in subToBeTriggered are useful when you want to remove the handler with
RemoveHandler Form1.Timer1.Tick, AddressOf subToBeTriggered
Otherwise, there will be an error without the parameters.
Thanks for all the answers though.

VB.NET call inside thread function

Public Class ThreadWithState
' State information used in the task.
Private locationx As Integer
Private locationy As Integer
' The constructor obtains the state information.
Public Sub New(x As Integer, y As Integer)
locationx = x
locationy = y
End Sub
' The thread procedure performs the task, such as formatting
' and printing a document.
Dim win As New VBSoftKeyboard.KeyBoardForm
Public Sub ThreadProc()
'MessageBox.Show(locationy)
Console.WriteLine(locationx, locationy)
win.FormBorderStyle = Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.None
win.Location = New Point(locationx, locationy)
win.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual
Application.Run(win)
End Sub
Public Sub HideWin()
win.Hide()
End Sub
Public Sub ShowWin()
win.Show()
End Sub
End Class
Dim tws As New ThreadWithState(1000, 0) 'show the keyboard form location
Private Sub SimpleButton1_Click_1(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles SimpleButton1.Click
Dim t As New Thread(New ThreadStart(AddressOf tws.ThreadProc))
t.Start()
tws.HideWin() //PROBLEM HERE ! how to hide the form ? and when i want to use i can show the form
End Sub
I use a thread to create a form, and then i m trying to hide the form first, when want to use the form i only call the ShowWin() function. t as thread to start the thread and create the form, how to call the t thread HideWin() function?
How to use created thread to call the others function ?

Threading: How to update label or close form

I haven't really done much with threads before and I'm having a problem updating a label and closing a form.
When debugging, the CloseDialog() sub is definitely running in the main thread so I don't understand why it's not closing. There are no loops or anything else running on the form to keep it open. I'm also having a problem updating the text on a label with information passed from another thread in real time.
The AddOUToTreeView sub gets invoked and works fine, but the subs from frmStatus never do anything.
frmMain:
Private WithEvents bkg As New ADSearcher
Private Sub startSearch_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles startSearch.Click
With bkg
.RootPath = "LDAP://domain.com"
.FilterString = "(objectCategory=organizationalUnit)"
If Not integratedAuth Then
.UserID = "user"
.Password = "pass"
End If
.PageSize = 5
.PropertiesToLoad = New String() {"cn", "name", "distinguishedName", "objectCategory"}
Dim search As New Threading.Thread(AddressOf .StartSearch)
search.Start()
Dim statusDialog As frmStatus = New frmStatus
statusDialog.Show() 'I want to use ShowDialog() but removed it when trouble shooting
End With
End Sub
Private Delegate Sub displayStatus(ByVal entriesFound As Integer)
Private Sub bkg_ResultFound(ByVal ousFound As Integer) Handles bkg.ResultFound
Dim display As New displayStatus(AddressOf frmStatus.UpdateOUSearcherStatus)
Me.Invoke(display, New Object() {ousFound})
End Sub
Private Delegate Sub displayResult(ByVal node As TreeNode)
Private Delegate Sub closeStatusDialog()
Private Sub bkg_SearchCompleted(ByVal ouNodes As TreeNode) Handles bkg.SearchCompleted
Dim display As New displayResult(AddressOf AddOUToTreeView)
Me.Invoke(display, New Object() {ouNodes})
Dim closeStatus As New closeStatusDialog(AddressOf frmStatus.CloseDialog)
Me.Invoke(closeStatus)
End Sub
Private Sub AddOUToTreeView(ByVal node As TreeNode)
tvOU.Nodes.Add(node)
tvOU.TopNode.Expand()
End Sub
frmStatus (Both of these functions do nothing):
Public Sub CloseDialog()
'Me.DialogResult = Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK
Me.Close()
'Me.Dispose()
End Sub
Public Sub UpdateOUSearcherStatus(ByVal entriesFound As Integer)
'lblOUsFound.Text = Format("{0} Organizational Units Found", ousFound)
lblOUsFound.Text = entriesFound.ToString
End Sub
In my ADSearcher class I have:
Public Event ResultFound(ByVal ousFound As Integer)
Public Event SearchCompleted(ByVal ouNodes As TreeNode)
and raise the events with:
RaiseEvent ResultFound(resultCount)
'and
RaiseEvent SearchCompleted(rootNode)