Question

At the beginning of a section of C# code that could take several seconds to complete, I’d like to display a non modal form with a label that just says, “Please wait…”

WaitForm myWaitForm = null;

try
{
  // if conditions suggest process will take awhile
  myWaitForm = new WaitForm();
  myWaitForm.Show();

  // do stuff
}
finally
{
  if (myWaitForm != null)
  {
    myWaitForm.Hide();
    myWaitForm.Dispose();
    myWaitForm = null;
  }
}

The problem: the WaitForm doesn’t completely display before the rest of the code ties up the thread. So I only see the frame of the form. In Delphi (my old stomping ground) I would call Application.ProcessMessages after the Show() Is there an equivalent in C#? Is there a canned “status” form that I can use in situations like this? Is there a better way to approach this?

Thanks in advance.
David Jennings

Answer 1

i agree on the “other thread” suggestion, but for simple and short purposes Application.DoEvents() will do.