Timer intervals, Making 1 timer stop another timer -

Question

Hey guys im trying to get a simple button masher up, What i want timer1 to do is mash keys in richtextbox1 for 30 seconds over and over, after 30 seconds Activate timer2, which will disable timer 1 and press keys in richtextbox 2 once, then wait 10 seconds and activate timer 1 again.

Im extremley new to c# but ive tried using timer 3 to stop timer 2 and start timer 1 again and it just messes it self up. The code ive tried is below. Any help apreciated...

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            SendKeys.Send(richTextBox1.Text);
            SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            timer1.Enabled = true;
            timer2.Enabled = true;
        }

        private void timer2_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            SendKeys.Send(richTextBox2.Text);
            SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}"); 
            timer1.Enabled = false;
        }

        private void timer3_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            timer1.Enabled = true;
            timer2.Enabled = false;
        }

        private void richTextBox2_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {

        }

        private void richTextBox1_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {

        }
    }
}

Answer 1

I suggest to use just one timer, increment a state counter every second, and perform an action base on the current state.

public Form1()
{
    this.InitializeComponent();

    // Just to illustrate - can be done in the designer.
    this.timer.Interval = 1000; // One second.
    this.timer.Enable = true;
}

private Int32 state = 0;

private void timer_Tick(Object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    if ((0 <= this.state) && (this.state < 30)) // Hit text box 1 30 times.
    {
        SendKeys.Send(this.richTextBox1.Text);
        SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
    }
    else if (this.state == 30) // Hit text box 2 once.
    {
        SendKeys.Send(this.richTextBox2.Text);
        SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
    }
    else if ((31 <= this.state) && (this.state < 40)) // Do nothing 9 times.
    {
        // Do nothing.
    }
    else
    {
        throw new InvalidOperationException(); // Unexpected state.
    }

    // Update state.
    this.state = (this.state + 1) % 40;
}

The variant with two numeric up down controls.

public Form1()
{
    this.InitializeComponent();

    // Just to illustrate - can be done in the designer.
    this.timer.Interval = 1000; // One second.
    this.timer.Enable = true;
}

private Int32 state = 0;

private void timer_Tick(Object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Decimal n1 = this.numericUpDown1.Value;
    Decimal n2 = this.numericUpDown2.Value;

    if ((0 <= this.state) && (this.state < n1))
    {
        SendKeys.Send(this.richTextBox1.Text);
        SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
    }
    else if (this.state == n1)
    {
        SendKeys.Send(this.richTextBox2.Text);
        SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
    }
    else if ((n1 <= this.state) && (this.state < n1 + n2))
    {
        // Do nothing.
    }
    else
    {
        // Reset state to resolve race conditions.
        this.state = 0;
    }

    // Update state.
    this.state = (this.state + 1) % (n1 + n2);
}

Answer 2

If timer3 is running continuously, won't it start timer1 and stop timer2 at unpredictable times, without warning?

IOW, what starts and stops timer3?

As JustLoren pointed out, there might be a cleaner way to do this. Perhaps a single timer event and some controlling logic and flags, rather than trying to juggle three timers.