Question

I have a webservice that I want to query for updates immediately after a boolean is set to true, and then recheck every 5 minutes.

Here is my current observable:

        _queryDisposable = Observable
            .Interval(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5))
            .ObserveOn(Scheduler.ThreadPool)
            .Where(i => IsProcessing)     // IsProcessing is the bool value
            .Subscribe(GetFeeds, OnError, OnComplete);

This observable will check if the IsProcessing bool is true or false every 5 mins and then call GetFeeds if it is true.

The only way that I can think to get the desired effect is to make IsProcessing a property backed field and process with 2 observables like the following:

    private bool _isProcessing;

    public bool IsProcessing
    {
        get { return _isProcessing; }
        set
        {
            if (_isProcessing == value)
                return;

            _isProcessing = value;

            if (!value)
            {
                if(_queryDisposable != null)
                    _queryDisposable.Dispose();
                _queryDisposable = null;
            }
            else
            {
                Observable
                    .Range(0,1)
                    .ObserveOn(Scheduler.ThreadPool)
                    .Subscribe(GetFeedsSafe, OnError, OnComplete);

                _queryDisposable = Observable
                    .Interval(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5))
                    .ObserveOn(Scheduler.ThreadPool)
                    .Subscribe(GetFeedsSafe, OnError, OnComplete);
            }
        }
    }

I don’t think that is a very elegant solution, and so I’d like to know if there is a better way to acheive this effect?

Answer 1

Am I missing something, or wouldn’t you just call Subscribe yourself immediately before starting the Observable?

    Subscribe(GetFeeds, OnError, OnComplete);
    // Or perhaps, if you want it to be async,
    new TaskFactory().StartNew(()=>Subscribe(GetFeeds, OnError, OnComplete));

    _queryDisposable = Observable
        .Interval(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5))
        .ObserveOn(Scheduler.ThreadPool)
        .Where(i => IsProcessing)     // IsProcessing is the bool value
        .Subscribe(GetFeeds, OnError, OnComplete);

EDIT: Pure Rx, from http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sa/rx/thread/c4acaf34-3136-4206-a6f9-ef5afba74b2b:

Observable.Interval(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5))
        .StartWith(-1L)
        .ObserveOn(Scheduler.ThreadPool)
        .Where(i => IsProcessing)     // IsProcessing is the bool value
        .Subscribe(GetFeeds, OnError, OnComplete);