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Initialize an object inside a thread and control it from main thread

I have created an object which is used to control a piece of test equipment (oscilloscope) which communicates using the Visa library. This object (scope object) works fine, but there is one method I created to query the scope for a waveform average, which takes a while to execute (around a second or so), and blocks execution of the UI while it is acquiring the data.
To get around this problem, I initially tried creating a task object and using this task object to execute the function that is querying the scope for the data; but I found that something in the Visa driver object itself was apparently still executing on the main thread (and thus slowing down my UI).
I then did one more test and created a new thread, and had this thread call a function. Inside this function, I initialized the scope object, setup the operating parameters, and then called the long-running function. This time, my UI was as responive as normal with no slowdowns.
So now, It seems that I need to actually initialize the scope object inside a new thread in order to get it to truly run asynchronously. But now I have a new challenge. I need to access the objects properties and methods from the main thread to set things up, query status info, etc. Is there a clean way to effectively read and write to a class's properties and methods from another thread? Or are there any existing libraries available to make this simpler?
My current idea is to create a wrapper class for the scope object and then have this wrapper class initialize the scope object in a new thread. But I'm not sure of the best way to access the object's members efficiently. Or better yet, is there a better approach to this problem?
EDIT: Below is some more information and code for the test program I wrote. The UI is a just a simple form with Acquire and Connect buttons, and two labels (one for showing the measurements and the other shows a number that gets incremented as I click on the "Click" button:
Here's the code for the Scope Object I created:
using System;
using Ivi.Scope.Interop;
using Tektronix.Tkdpo2k3k4k.Interop;
using System.Diagnostics;
namespace Test_App
{
public class DPO4034
{
#region [NOTES] Installing TekVisa Drivers for DPO4034
/*
1. Download and install the TekVisa Connectivity Software from here:
https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/tds7054-software/tekvisa-connectivity-software-v411
2. Check under Start -> All Programs -> TekVisa and see if the "Open Choice Installation Manager" shortcut works.If not, then update all shortcuts to point to the correct base folder for the TekVISA files, which is "C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\".
3. Download the DPO4000 series IVI driver from here:
https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/dpo4054-software/dpo2000-dpo3000-dpo4000-ivi-driver
4. After running the unzip utility, open the unzipped folder and goto x64 -> Shared Components, and run the IviCleanupUtility_2.0.0.exe utility to make sure no shared IVI components exist.
5. Run the IviSharedComponents64_2.1.1.exe file to install shared components.
6. Go up one folder and open the IVI Driver Folder and run the Tkdpo2k3k4k-x64.msi installer to install the scope IVI driver.
7. In the VS project, add references to the following COM components:
• IviDriverLib
• IviScopeLib
• Tkdpo2k3k4kLib
8. Right Click on each of the three references in the Solution Explorer and select Properties in the menu. When the properties window appears, set the "Embed Interop Types" property to False.
*/
#endregion
#region Class Variables
Tkdpo2k3k4kClass driver; // IVI Driver representing the DPO4034
IIviScope scope; // IVI Scope object representing the DPO4034
#endregion
#region Class Constructors
public DPO4034()
{
this.driver = new Tkdpo2k3k4kClass();
this.scope = (IIviScope)driver;
}
~DPO4034()
{
this.Disconnect();
}
#endregion
#region Public Properties
/// <summary>
/// Returns true if the scope is connected (initialized)
/// </summary>
public bool Connected
{
get
{
return this.driver.IIviDriver_Initialized;
}
}
#endregion
#region Public Methods
/// <summary>
/// Initializes the connection to the scope
/// <paramref name="reset"/>Resets the scope after connecting if set to true</param>
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the function succeeds</returns>
public bool Connect(bool reset = false)
{
try
{
if (!this.Connected)
{
this.Disconnect();
}
this.driver.Initialize("TCPIP::10.10.0.200::INSTR", true, reset, "Simulate=false, DriverSetup= Model=DPO4034");
return true;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
PrintError(ex, "Connect");
return false;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Closes the connection to the scope
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the function succeeds</returns>
public bool Disconnect()
{
try
{
if (this.Connected)
{
this.driver.Close();
}
return true;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
PrintError(ex, "Disconnect");
return false;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Reads the average value of the waveform on the selected channel
/// </summary>
/// <param name="channel">1-4 for channels 1 to 4</param>
/// <returns>The measured average value</returns>
public double ReadWaveformAverage(int channel)
{
if (this.Connected)
{
try
{
double value = 0;
this.scope.Measurements.Item["CH" + channel.ToString()].FetchWaveformMeasurement(IviScopeMeasurementEnum.IviScopeMeasurementVoltageAverage, ref value);
return value;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
PrintError(ex, "ReadWaveformAverage");
return 0;
}
}
else
{
PrintError("Oscilloscope not connected", "ReadWaveformAverage");
return 0;
}
}
#endregion
#region Private Methods
/// <summary>
/// Prints an error message to the debug console
/// </summary>
/// <param name="err">Error object</param>
/// <param name="source">Source of the error</param>
private void PrintError(Exception err, string source = "") //, bool showMessageBox = false)
{
Debug.Print($"Error: {err.Message}");
Debug.Print($"Source: {source}");
}
/// <summary>
/// Prints an error message to the debug console
/// </summary>
/// <param name="err">Error object</param>
/// <param name="source">Source of the error</param>
private void PrintError(string error, string source = "")
{
Debug.Print($"Error: {error}");
Debug.Print($"Source: {source}");
}
#endregion
}
}
Here's the code for the version of the form that uses an async function and tasks to directly call the acquisition functions:
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace Test_App
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
byte number = 0;
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void cmdAcquire_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
takeMeasurements();
}
async void takeMeasurements()
{
try
{
// Create new instance of the scope object and connect to it
DPO4034 Scope = new DPO4034();
Scope.Connect();
// Update status
PrintStatus(Scope.Connected ? "Connected" : "Error");
// Loop continuously and print the samples to the status label
while (Scope.Connected)
{
double inputVoltage = await Task.Run(() => Scope.ReadWaveformAverage(1));
double inputCurrent = await Task.Run(() => Scope.ReadWaveformAverage(2));
double outputVoltage = await Task.Run(() => Scope.ReadWaveformAverage(3));
PrintStatus($"CH1: {inputVoltage}\n" +
$"CH2: {inputCurrent}\n" +
$"CH3: {outputVoltage}\n");
}
}
catch (Exception)
{
PrintStatus("Error");
}
}
private void cmdIncrement(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// This is just something for me to make the interface do to see
// how responsive it is
lblNumber.Text = number.ToString();
number++;
}
// Prints status text to the label on the form
private void PrintStatus(string text)
{
Status.Text = text;
}
}
}
and here's the code for the version of the form that uses a separate thread to run the scope object:
using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace Test_App
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
Thread t;
byte number = 0;
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(takeMeasurements));
}
private void cmdAcquire_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
t.Start();
}
// Function to create scope object and take acquisitions
void takeMeasurements()
{
try
{
// Create new instance of the scope object and connect to it
DPO4034 Scope = new DPO4034();
Scope.Connect();
// Update status
PrintStatus(Scope.Connected ? "Connected" : "Error");
// Loop continuously and print the samples to the status label
while (Scope.Connected)
{
double inputVoltage = Scope.ReadWaveformAverage(1);
double inputCurrent = Scope.ReadWaveformAverage(2);
double outputVoltage = Scope.ReadWaveformAverage(3);
PrintStatus($"CH1: {inputVoltage}\n" +
$"CH2: {inputCurrent}\n" +
$"CH3: {outputVoltage}\n");
}
}
catch (Exception)
{
PrintStatus("Error");
}
}
private void cmdIncrement(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// This is just something for me to make the interface do to see
// how responsive it is
lblNumber.Text = number.ToString();
number++;
}
// Prints status text to the label on the form
private void PrintStatus(string text)
{
if (!this.IsDisposed)
{
this.BeginInvoke((MethodInvoker)delegate
{
Status.Text = text;
});
}
else
{
t.Abort();
}
}
}
}
I hope this gives some more insight into what I'm trying to accomplish. Thank you all for your comments and I look forward to your feedback.
EDIT2: Just to be more clear, the method I would prefer to use (if possible) is the one using tasks. In the current program, the Scope object is initialized at the top of the form on the main thread and accessed by multiple objects within the program.

For anyone interested, I finally found a solution to the problem I was having with the GUI freezing when executing the ReadWaveformData() function.
The answer was to create a new thread inside of the Scope class that would call an Initialization function to initialize the internal scope and driver objects. Then the thread would do nothing but sit and host the instances until the ReadWavveformData() function is called inside a task. Here's the modified DPO4034 class:
using System;
using Ivi.Scope.Interop;
using Tektronix.Tkdpo2k3k4k.Interop;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Threading;
namespace Test_App
{
public class DPO4034
{
#region [NOTES] Installing TekVisa Drivers for DPO4034
/*
1. Download and install the TekVisa Connectivity Software from here:
https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/tds7054-software/tekvisa-connectivity-software-v411
2. Check under Start -> All Programs -> TekVisa and see if the "Open Choice Installation Manager" shortcut works.If not, then update all shortcuts to point to the correct base folder for the TekVISA files, which is "C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\VISA\".
3. Download the DPO4000 series IVI driver from here:
https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/dpo4054-software/dpo2000-dpo3000-dpo4000-ivi-driver
4. After running the unzip utility, open the unzipped folder and goto x64 -> Shared Components, and run the IviCleanupUtility_2.0.0.exe utility to make sure no shared IVI components exist.
5. Run the IviSharedComponents64_2.1.1.exe file to install shared components.
6. Go up one folder and open the IVI Driver Folder and run the Tkdpo2k3k4k-x64.msi installer to install the scope IVI driver.
7. In the VS project, add references to the following COM components:
• IviDriverLib
• IviScopeLib
• Tkdpo2k3k4kLib
8. Right Click on each of the three references in the Solution Explorer and select Properties in the menu. When the properties window appears, set the "Embed Interop Types" property to False.
*/
#endregion
#region Class Variables
Tkdpo2k3k4kClass driver; // IVI Driver representing the DPO4034
IIviScope scope; // IVI Scope object representing the DPO4034
Thread t; // Thread to initialize the scope objects in to ensure that they async method calls do not run on the main thread
#endregion
#region Class Constructors
public DPO4034()
{
t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(Initialize));
t.Start();
// Wait for scope object to be initialized in the thread
while (this.scope == null);
}
~DPO4034()
{
this.Disconnect();
t.Abort();
}
#endregion
#region Public Properties
/// <summary>
/// Returns true if the scope is connected (initialized)
/// </summary>
public bool Connected
{
get
{
return this.driver.IIviDriver_Initialized;
}
}
#endregion
#region Public Methods
/// <summary>
/// Initializes the connection to the scope
/// <paramref name="reset"/>Resets the scope after connecting if set to true</param>
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the function succeeds</returns>
public bool Connect(bool reset = false)
{
try
{
if (!this.Connected)
{
this.Disconnect();
}
this.driver.Initialize("TCPIP::10.10.0.200::INSTR", true, reset, "Simulate=false, DriverSetup= Model=DPO4034");
return true;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
PrintError(ex, "Connect");
return false;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Closes the connection to the scope
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the function succeeds</returns>
public bool Disconnect()
{
try
{
if (this.Connected)
{
this.driver.Close();
}
return true;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
PrintError(ex, "Disconnect");
return false;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Reads the average value of the waveform on the selected channel
/// </summary>
/// <param name="channel">1-4 for channels 1 to 4</param>
/// <returns>The measured average value</returns>
public double ReadWaveformAverage(int channel)
{
if (this.Connected)
{
try
{
double value = 0;
this.scope.Measurements.Item["CH" + channel.ToString()].FetchWaveformMeasurement(IviScopeMeasurementEnum.IviScopeMeasurementVoltageAverage, ref value);
return value;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
PrintError(ex, "ReadWaveformAverage");
return 0;
}
}
else
{
PrintError("Oscilloscope not connected", "ReadWaveformAverage");
return 0;
}
}
#endregion
#region Private Methods
private void Initialize()
{
this.driver = new Tkdpo2k3k4kClass();
this.scope = (IIviScope)driver;
// Does nothing but allow the objects to exist on the separate thread
while (true)
{
Thread.Sleep(int.MaxValue);
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Prints an error message to the debug console
/// </summary>
/// <param name="err">Error object</param>
/// <param name="source">Source of the error</param>
private void PrintError(Exception err, string source = "") //, bool showMessageBox = false)
{
Debug.Print($"Error: {err.Message}");
Debug.Print($"Source: {source}");
}
/// <summary>
/// Prints an error message to the debug console
/// </summary>
/// <param name="err">Error object</param>
/// <param name="source">Source of the error</param>
private void PrintError(string error, string source = "")
{
Debug.Print($"Error: {error}");
Debug.Print($"Source: {source}");
}
#endregion
}
}
If this is paired up with the version of the TestApp that uses the async tasks to execute the ReadWaveformData() function, then things run smoothly and I don't need to completely rewrite the scope class to get it to work in my program. Hope this is helpful for anyone else who may run into a similar challenge.

How can I raise an event when a new item is added to Devices and Printers? [duplicate]

I am trying to write a class library that can catch the windows messages to notify me if a device has been attached or removed. Normally, in a windows forms app I would just override the WndProc method but there is not WndProc method in this case. Is there another way I can get the messages?

You'll need a window, there's no way around that. Here's a sample implementation. Implement an event handler for the DeviceChangeNotifier.DeviceNotify event to get notifications. Call the DeviceChangeNotifier.Start() method at the start of your program. Call DeviceChangeNotifier.Stop() at the end of your program. Beware that the DeviceNotify event is raised on a background thread, be sure to lock as needed to keep your code thread-safe.
using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Threading;
class DeviceChangeNotifier : Form {
public delegate void DeviceNotifyDelegate(Message msg);
public static event DeviceNotifyDelegate DeviceNotify;
private static DeviceChangeNotifier mInstance;
public static void Start() {
Thread t = new Thread(runForm);
t.SetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA);
t.IsBackground = true;
t.Start();
}
public static void Stop() {
if (mInstance == null) throw new InvalidOperationException("Notifier not started");
DeviceNotify = null;
mInstance.Invoke(new MethodInvoker(mInstance.endForm));
}
private static void runForm() {
Application.Run(new DeviceChangeNotifier());
}
private void endForm() {
this.Close();
}
protected override void SetVisibleCore(bool value) {
// Prevent window getting visible
if (mInstance == null) CreateHandle();
mInstance = this;
value = false;
base.SetVisibleCore(value);
}
protected override void WndProc(ref Message m) {
// Trap WM_DEVICECHANGE
if (m.Msg == 0x219) {
DeviceNotifyDelegate handler = DeviceNotify;
if (handler != null) handler(m);
}
base.WndProc(ref m);
}
}

I have a working USB communication class that implements device change notification in a slightly different way if anyone is interested. It's pretty compact (w/o the comments) and doesn't rely on Threading or the OnSourceInitialized and HwndHandler stuff in the client. Also, you do not need a Form or Window as mentioned. Any type where you can override WndProc() can be used. I use a Control.
The sample contains only code needed for notification and nothing else. The sample code is C++/CLI and although I don't subscribe to the practice of putting executable code in header files, for the sake of brevity, I do so here.
#pragma once
#include <Windows.h> // Declares required datatypes.
#include <Dbt.h> // Required for WM_DEVICECHANGE messages.
#include <initguid.h> // Required for DEFINE_GUID definition (see below).
namespace USBComms
{
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Runtime::InteropServices;
using namespace System::Windows;
using namespace System::Windows::Forms;
// This function is required for receieving WM_DEVICECHANGE messages.
// Note: name is remapped "RegisterDeviceNotificationUM"
[DllImport("user32.dll" , CharSet = CharSet::Unicode, EntryPoint="RegisterDeviceNotification")]
extern "C" HDEVNOTIFY WINAPI RegisterDeviceNotificationUM(
HANDLE hRecipient,
LPVOID NotificationFilter,
DWORD Flags);
// Generic guid for usb devices (see e.g. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff545972%28v=vs.85%29.aspx).
// Note: GUIDs are device and OS specific and may require modification. Using the wrong guid will cause notification to fail.
// You may have to tinker with your device to find the appropriate GUID. "hid.dll" has a function `HidD_GetHidGuid' that returns
// "the device interfaceGUID for HIDClass devices" (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff538924%28v=vs.85%29.aspx).
// However, testing revealed it does not always return a useful value. The GUID_DEVINTERFACE_USB_DEVICE value, defined as
// {A5DCBF10-6530-11D2-901F-00C04FB951ED}, has worked with cell phones, thumb drives, etc. For more info, see e.g.
// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff553426%28v=vs.85%29.aspx.
DEFINE_GUID(GUID_DEVINTERFACE_USB_DEVICE, 0xA5DCBF10L, 0x6530, 0x11D2, 0x90, 0x1F, 0x00, 0xC0, 0x4F, 0xB9, 0x51, 0xED);
/// <summary>
/// Declare a delegate for the notification event handler.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">The object where the event handler is attached.</param>
/// <param name="e">The event data.</param>
public delegate void NotificationEventHandler(Object^ sender, EventArgs^ e);
/// <summary>
/// Class that generetaes USB Device Change notification events.
/// </summary>
/// <remarks>
/// A Form is not necessary. Any type wherein you can override WndProc() can be used.
/// </remarks>
public ref class EventNotifier : public Control
{
private:
/// <summary>
/// Raises the NotificationEvent.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="e">The event data.</param>
void RaiseNotificationEvent(EventArgs^ e) {
NotificationEvent(this, e);
}
protected:
/// <summary>
/// Overrides the base class WndProc method.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="message">The Windows Message to process. </param>
/// <remarks>
/// This method receives Windows Messages (WM_xxxxxxxxxx) and
/// raises our NotificationEvent as appropriate. Here you should
/// add any message filtering (e.g. for the WM_DEVICECHANGE) and
/// preprocessing before raising the event (or not).
/// </remarks>
virtual void WndProc(Message% message) override {
if(message.Msg == WM_DEVICECHANGE)
{
RaiseNotificationEvent(EventArgs::Empty);
}
__super::WndProc(message);
}
public:
/// <summary>
/// Creates a new instance of the EventNotifier class.
/// </summary>
EventNotifier(void) {
RequestNotifications(this->Handle); // Register ourselves as the Windows Message processor.
}
/// <summary>
/// Registers an object, identified by the handle, for
/// Windows WM_DEVICECHANGE messages.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="handle">The object's handle.</param>
bool RequestNotifications(IntPtr handle) {
DEV_BROADCAST_DEVICEINTERFACE NotificationFilter;
ZeroMemory(&NotificationFilter, sizeof(NotificationFilter));
NotificationFilter.dbcc_devicetype = DBT_DEVTYP_DEVICEINTERFACE;
NotificationFilter.dbcc_size = sizeof(DEV_BROADCAST_DEVICEINTERFACE);
NotificationFilter.dbcc_reserved = 0;
NotificationFilter.dbcc_classguid = GUID_DEVINTERFACE_USB_DEVICE;
return RegisterDeviceNotificationUM((HANDLE)handle, &NotificationFilter, DEVICE_NOTIFY_WINDOW_HANDLE) != NULL;
}
/// <summary>
/// Defines the notification event.
/// </summary>
virtual event NotificationEventHandler^ NotificationEvent;
};
}
Then, in the 'receiver' (the object that subscribes to and consumes our NotificationEvent), all you have to do is:
void Receiver::SomeFunction(void)
{
USBComms::EventNotifier usb = gcnew USBComms::EventNotifier();
usb->NotificationEvent += gcnew USBComms::NotificationEventHandler(this, &Receiver::USBEvent);
}
void Receiver::USBEvent(Object^ sender, EventArgs^ e)
{
// Handle the event notification as appropriate.
}

In Windows CE / Windows Mobile / SmartDevice projects, the standard Form does not provide an override to the WndProc method, but this can be accomplished by making a class based on Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms.MessageWindow, creating a constructor that takes a form, hold that form in a local variable so that a method on that form can be called whenever the message is detected. Here's a scaled down sample to illustrate. Hope this is helpful to someone in the CE / Windows Mobile world.
public class MsgWindow : Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms.MessageWindow {
public const int WM_SER = 0x500;
public const int WM_SER_SCANDONE = WM_SER + 0;
frmMain msgform { get; set; }
public MsgWindow(frmMain msgform) {
this.msgform = msgform;
}
protected override void WndProc(ref Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms.Message m) {
switch (m.Msg) {
case WM_SER_SCANDONE:
this.msgform.RespondToMessage(WM_SER_SCANDONE);
break;
default:
break;
}
base.WndProc(ref m);
}
}
public partial class frmMain : Form {
public frmMain() {
InitializeComponent();
}
public void RespondToMessage(int nMsg) {
try {
switch (nMsg) {
case MsgWindow.WM_SER_SCANDONE:
// do something here based on the message
break;
default:
break;
}
} catch (Exception ex) {
MessageBox.Show(string.Format("{0} - {1}", ex.Message, ex.ToString()), "RespondToMessage() Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation, MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1);
// throw;
}
}
}

Console and form in one and data transfer?

There is a code represents Console Application where I've done new Thread for the form and displaying a CustomForm on our new thread, I've also tried some kind of data transfer but I haven't successed.
Program.cs code ...
class Program {
public static CustomForm _customForm {
get {
return customForm;
}
set {
customForm = value;
customForm.Show();
}
}
private static CustomForm customForm;
/// <summary>
/// Static method which constains all the magic for the console!
/// </summary>
/// <param name="args"></param>
static void Main(string[] args) {
// Declaring Thread for the FormThread.
Thread formThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(FormThread));
// Fires out the work of the thread.
formThread.Start();
Console.ReadKey();
// And console is still running?
// Thread formThread is still running too, thats the reason bruh!
}
/// <summary>
/// Static method which constains all the magic for the form!
/// </summary>
static void FormThread() {
customForm.lbl.Text = "Yolo, it wurks!";
Application.Run(new CustomForm());
}
}
CustomForm.cs code ...
public partial class CustomForm : Form {
public string lblText {
get {
return lbl.Text;
}
set {
lbl.Text = value;
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Just initializer, something what we'll never understand.
/// </summary>
public CustomForm() {
InitializeComponent();
}
/// <summary>
/// When the form is loaded.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender"></param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
private void OnLoad(object sender, EventArgs e) {
Program._customForm = this;
}
}
The only thing I want to do is call the lbl's text property and set some value in a program.cs, not in the customform.cs
Sometimes form wont to show or the lbl in the form isn't changed.

customForm.lbl.Text = "Yolo, it wurks!"; executes before you are creating CustomForm.
Probably, you need to create your form in the main and pass it into Application.Run(CustomForm);
static void Main(string[] args) {
// Declaring Thread for the FormThread.
Thread formThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(FormThread));
// Fires out the work of the thread.
customForm = new CustomForm();
formThread.Start();
Console.ReadKey();
// And console is still running?
// Thread formThread is still running too, thats the reason bruh!
}
Also, you can't change a control property from other threads. In order to change property from other thread use Invoke method.
public partial class CustomForm : Form {
public string lblText
{
get
{
return lbl.Text;
}
set
{
if (lbl.InvokeRequired)
lbl.Invoke((MethodInvoker) (() => lbl.Text = value));
else
lbl.Text = value;
}
}
}

How to improve CPU usage when automatically "locking" a (WPF) application using Window.PreviewMouseMoveEvent?

Currently I'm using
EventManager.RegisterClassHandler(typeof(Window),
Window.PreviewMouseMoveEvent,
new MouseEventHandler(OnPreviewMouseMove));
where OnPreviewMouseMove just calls Stop() and Start() on the timer used to handle automatic timeout of my application (users should re-enter credentials after a period of inactivity).
I've noticed that this solution uses quite a bit of CPU power (as in, 3-12% on a Core i7 when I'm jittering the mouse over the window), so I wonder if there might be a better way to handle this. I understand that the jittery mouse movement and relatively low CPU usage won't be a real problem, but I am open to better ways to handle this.
I'm also unsure whether this can be made to work for non-WPF applications (my guess is I'll need different events in this case), but that might be matter for another question.

Use the Windows API call GetLastInputInfo to figure out when the last keyboard press or mouse movement happened. This is the same timer that the screensaver uses to figure out when to turn on.
Here is a wrapper class I have used in other projects. The Idle event runs on the current SynchronizationContext or a threadpool thread if there is not one set.
/// <summary>
/// A timer that raises the <see cref="Idle"/> event when it detects the session
/// </summary>
public sealed class SystemIdleTimer : IDisposable
{
private readonly System.Threading.Timer _timer;
private readonly SynchronizationContext _synchronizationContext;
/// <summary>
/// This event is rasied when the sysstem's idle time is greater than <see cref="MaxIdleTime"/>.
/// This event is posted to the SynchronizationContext that the constructor was run under.
/// </summary>
public event EventHandler Idle;
/// <summary>
/// The amount of idle time that must pass before the <see cref="Idle"/> event is raised.
/// </summary>
public TimeSpan MaxIdleTime { get; set; }
/// <summary>
/// Is the user currently detected as idle;
/// </summary>
public bool IsDetectedIdle { get; private set; }
/// <summary>
/// Creates a new timer with a specified trigger level and a check frequency of once a minute.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="maxIdleTime">The amount of idle time that must pass before the <see cref="Idle"/> event is raised.</param>
public SystemIdleTimer(TimeSpan maxIdleTime)
: this(maxIdleTime, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1))
{
}
/// <summary>
/// Creates a new timer with a specified trigger level and a check frequency.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="maxIdleTime">The amount of idle time that must pass before the <see cref="Idle"/> event is raised.</param>
/// <param name="checkInterval">The frequency in miliseconds to check the idle timer.</param>
public SystemIdleTimer(TimeSpan maxIdleTime, TimeSpan checkInterval)
{
MaxIdleTime = maxIdleTime;
_synchronizationContext = SynchronizationContext.Current;
_timer = new System.Threading.Timer(TimerCallback, null, checkInterval, checkInterval);
}
public void Dispose()
{
_timer.Dispose();
Idle = null;
}
private void TimerCallback(object state)
{
var idleTime = GetIdleTime();
if (idleTime > MaxIdleTime)
{
if (!IsDetectedIdle)
{
IsDetectedIdle = true;
OnIdle();
}
}
else
{
IsDetectedIdle = false;
}
}
private void OnIdle()
{
var idle = Idle;
if (idle != null)
{
if (_synchronizationContext != null)
{
_synchronizationContext.Post(state => idle(this, EventArgs.Empty), null);
}
else
{
idle(this, EventArgs.Empty);
}
}
}
/// <summary>
/// Returns the amout of time the system has been idle.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>A TimeSpan representing the idle time for the session.</returns>
public static TimeSpan GetIdleTime()
{
try
{
uint idleMiliseconds = 0;
LASTINPUTINFO lastInputInfo = new LASTINPUTINFO();
lastInputInfo.cbSize = (uint)Marshal.SizeOf(lastInputInfo);
lastInputInfo.dwTime = 0;
uint systemUpTime = GetTickCount();
if (GetLastInputInfo(ref lastInputInfo))
{
uint lastInputTime = lastInputInfo.dwTime;
if (lastInputTime > systemUpTime)
{
// The elapsed time is stored as a DWORD value. Therefore, the time will wrap around to zero if the system is run continuously for 49.7 days.
// so, we need a bit more math...
// how far between last input and the current time rolling over to 0
idleMiliseconds = (uint.MaxValue - lastInputTime);
// add that to the current ticks
idleMiliseconds = idleMiliseconds + systemUpTime;
}
else
{
idleMiliseconds = systemUpTime - lastInputTime;
}
}
return TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(idleMiliseconds);
}
catch (Exception)
{
return TimeSpan.Zero;
}
}
[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
private struct LASTINPUTINFO
{
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.U4)]
public UInt32 cbSize;
[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.U4)]
public UInt32 dwTime;
}
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool GetLastInputInfo(ref LASTINPUTINFO plii);
[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
static extern uint GetTickCount();
}

Ensuring execution order between multiple threads

I am having a kinda annoying problem mostly due to my low skill level/experience in C# multithreading.
Here is the background. In my framework, I have a static class named WaitFormHelper, which has two static methods (well... actually more but we don't care here), Start() and Close()
The Start() method initializes and starts a thread which will acquire a lock on the locker object and create a WaitForm (which is a small loading control with a custom message and a progress bar)
In my current project, I have a method which starts a WaitForm, performs calculations, then closes the WaitForm. Nothing fancy at all.
The method looks like the following, I simplified it as much as possible:
public void PerformCalculations()
{
try
{
WaitFormHelper.Start("Title", "message", false);
if (this.CalculationsParameters.IsInvalid)
{
return;
}
// Perform all those lengthy calculations here
}
// catch whatever exception I may have to catch, we don't care here
finally
{
WaitFormHelper.Close();
}
}
Here are the Start() and Close() methods with related methods & attributes, simplified as well:
private static Thread instanceCaller;
private static WaitForm instance;
private static AutoResetEvent waitFormStarted = new AutoResetEvent(false);
private static object locker = new object();
/// <summary>
/// Initializes WaitForm to start a single task
/// </summary>
/// <param name="header">WaitForm header</param>
/// <param name="message">Message displayed</param>
/// <param name="showProgressBar">True if we want a progress bar, else false</param>
public static void Start(string header, string message, bool showProgressBar)
{
InitializeCallerThread(showProgressBar, header, message);
instanceCaller.Start();
}
/// <summary>
/// Initializes caller thread for executing a single command
/// </summary>
/// <param name="showProgressBar"></param>
/// <param name="header"></param>
/// <param name="message"></param>
private static void InitializeCallerThread(bool showProgressBar, string header, string message)
{
waitFormStarted.Reset();
instanceCaller = new Thread(() =>
{
lock (locker)
{
instance = new WaitForm()
{
Header = header,
Message = message,
IsProgressBarVisible = showProgressBar
};
waitFormStarted.Set();
}
instance.ShowDialog();
});
instanceCaller.Name = "WaitForm thread";
instanceCaller.SetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA);
instanceCaller.IsBackground = true;
}
/// <summary>
/// Closes current form
/// </summary>
public static void Close()
{
lock (locker)
{
if (instance != null && !instance.IsClosed)
{
waitFormStarted.WaitOne();
instance.FinalizeWork();
instance.Dispatcher.Invoke(
new Action(() =>
{
instance.Close();
}));
}
}
}
Now let's get to the problem
This usually works fine, except in this case:
If this.CalculationsParameters.IsInvalid is true (ie. as you probably already understood, I can't perform calculations for some reason, such as "user entering crap in my forms"), the execution directly closes my WaitForm.
However in this case, the main thread will reach the Close method and acquire a lock on the locker object before the thread fired by the Start() method.
What happens is that: Close acquires lock, tries to close the form but instance is still null because the Thread created in InitializeCallerThread is still waiting for the lock to actually create it. Close releases lock, InitializeCallerThread acquires it and... shows a WaitForm which will not close.
Now I know that I can simply fix this problem by testing if the calculation parameters are invalid before actually starting the WaitForm, but well, problem is this WaitForm is supposed to be used by all applications of our framework (which includes 40+ different apps used and maintained in 4 countries), so ideally I'd rather prefer seeing my WaitForm working at all cases.
Do you have any idea on how could I synchronize this to make sure the starter thread is definitely called and executed first?
As you can see I already use an AutoResetEvent for this matter, but if I listen to it before the test if (instance != null) I will end up stuck in my case.
Hope this is clear enough! Thank you!

You need some mechanism to make a "queue control", coordinating steps according to the order you want them occurring.
Recently I have needed to implement something like this to force a specific order in the execution of several threads in a unit test.
Here is my suggestion:
QueueSynchronizer:
/// <summary>
/// Synchronizes steps between threads.
/// </summary>
public class QueueSynchronizer
{
/// <summary>
/// Constructor.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="minWait">Minimum waiting time until the next try.</param>
/// <param name="maxWait">Maximum waiting time until the next try.</param>
public QueueSynchronizer(Int32 minWait, Int32 maxWait)
{
}
private Mutex mx = new Mutex();
/// <summary>
/// Minimum waiting time until the next try.
/// </summary>
private Int32 minWait = 5;
/// <summary>
/// Maximum waiting time until the next try.
/// </summary>
private Int32 maxWait = 500;
int currentStep = 1;
/// <summary>
/// Key: order in the queue; Value: Time to wait.
/// </summary>
private Dictionary<int, int> waitingTimeForNextMap = new Dictionary<int, int>();
/// <summary>
/// Synchronizes by the order in the queue. It starts from 1. If is not
/// its turn, the thread waits for a moment, after that, it tries again,
/// and so on until its turn.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="orderInTheQueue">Order in the queue. It starts from 1.</param>
/// <returns>The <see cref="Mutex"/>The mutex that must be released at the end of turn.
/// </returns>
public Mutex Sincronize(int orderInTheQueue)
{
do
{
//while it is not the turn, the thread will stay in this loop and sleeping for 100, 200, ... 1000 ms
if (orderInTheQueue != this.currentStep)
{
//The next in queue will be waiting here (other threads).
mx.WaitOne();
mx.ReleaseMutex();
//Prevents 100% processing while the current step does not happen
if (!waitingTimeForNextMap.ContainsKey(orderInTheQueue))
{
waitingTimeForNextMap[orderInTheQueue] = this.minWait;
}
Thread.Sleep(waitingTimeForNextMap[orderInTheQueue]);
waitingTimeForNextMap[orderInTheQueue] = Math.Min(waitingTimeForNextMap[orderInTheQueue] * 2, this.maxWait);
}
} while (orderInTheQueue != this.currentStep);
mx.WaitOne();
currentStep++;
return mx;
}
}
Start() and Close() with QueueSynchronizer:
//synchronizer
private static QueueSynchronizer queueSynchronizer;
private static Thread instanceCaller;
private static WaitForm instance;
private static AutoResetEvent waitFormStarted = new AutoResetEvent(false);
private static object locker = new object();
/// <summary>
/// Initializes WaitForm to start a single task
/// </summary>
/// <param name="header">WaitForm header</param>
/// <param name="message">Message displayed</param>
/// <param name="showProgressBar">True if we want a progress bar, else false</param>
public static void Start(string header, string message, bool showProgressBar)
{
queueSynchronizer = new QueueSynchronizer();
InitializeCallerThread(showProgressBar, header, message);
instanceCaller.Start();
}
/// <summary>
/// Initializes caller thread for executing a single command
/// </summary>
/// <param name="showProgressBar"></param>
/// <param name="header"></param>
/// <param name="message"></param>
private static void InitializeCallerThread(bool showProgressBar, string header, string message)
{
waitFormStarted.Reset();
instanceCaller = new Thread(() =>
{
lock (locker)
{
//Queuing to run on first.
Mutex mx = queueSynchronizer.Sincronize(1);
try
{
instance = new WaitForm()
{
Header = header,
Message = message,
IsProgressBarVisible = showProgressBar
};
}
finally
{
//I think is here that ends the first step!?
mx.ReleaseMutex();
}
waitFormStarted.Set();
}
instance.ShowDialog();
});
instanceCaller.Name = "WaitForm thread";
instanceCaller.SetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA);
instanceCaller.IsBackground = true;
}
/// <summary>
/// Closes current form
/// </summary>
public static void Close()
{
//Queuing to run on second.
Mutex mx = queueSynchronizer.Sincronize(2);
try
{
lock (locker)
{
if (instance != null && !instance.IsClosed)
{
waitFormStarted.WaitOne();
instance.FinalizeWork();
instance.Dispatcher.Invoke(
new Action(() =>
{
instance.Close();
}));
}
}
}
finally
{
mx.ReleaseMutex();
}
}

You need to Join on the thread that you created. By joining on a thread you'll block at that point until the thread has finished executing.
public static void Close()
{
lock (locker)
{
instanceCaller.Join();
if (instance != null && !instance.IsClosed)
{
waitFormStarted.WaitOne();
instance.FinalizeWork();
instance.Dispatcher.Invoke(
new Action(() =>
{
instance.Close();
}));
}
}
}