CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#
TheBigOnion
TheBigOnion

Reputation: 625

Update textbox during timer_tick

I have read many answers on this question, and yet I still cannot get this to work. I have a simple C# WinForms app with a timer control. When the timer fires, I have some code do some processing. I want to update a textbox with status during this processing. But the textbox never gets updated until the eventhandler finishes. Please tell me how I can get the textbox to update during the processing.

Here is my code:

My Form:

public Form1()
{
    InitializeComponent();

    timer1.Interval = 60000;
    timer1.Tick += new EventHandler(CheckStatus);

    timer1.Start();
}

private void CheckStatus(object Sender, EventArgs e)
{
    // Set the caption to the current time.              
    textBox1.AppendText(DateTime.Now.ToString() + Environment.NewLine);
    ProcessStatus();
}

private void ProcessStatus()
{
    textBox1.AppendText("Now updated" + Environment.NewLine);
}

If I step through my code, the textbox is not updated until I step out of CheckStatus. (I'm using Visual Studio 2017)

I have tried several things like what is found here: StackOverflow

Upvotes: 0

Views: 682

Answers (1)

MikeH
MikeH

Reputation: 4395

When the timer ticks it's firing on the GUI thread. While the GUI thread is busy processing (I assume whatever you're doing takes a long time) all other GUI updates will pause.

You can run textBox.Update() to force the update at that point, but that's not considered a best practice.

Instead, you should run your process on a background thread. One option is BackgroundWorker and use the ProgressChanged event to show your updates in your GUI.

Upvotes: 1

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