Question

I’m trying to check with a converter if a Image Source exists in local storage. If not go with the external url.

<Image Source="{Binding Image, Converter={StaticResource ImageCacheConverter}}"/>

This is my converter so far:

public object Convert(object value, Type targetType, object parameter, string language)
{
    return IfFileExist((string)value, "localimage.png");
}
public async Task<string> IfFileExist(string value, string filename)
{
    var folder = ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder;
    var getFilesAsync = await folder.GetFilesAsync(CommonFileQuery.OrderByName);

    var file = getFilesAsync.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name == filename);
    if (file != null)
    {
        return "ms-appdata:///local/" + filename;
    }
    return (string)value;
}

The major problem I’m facing is having async inside an IValueConverter. But i need the return o the IfFileExist to change the image source.

Thanks in Advance.

Answer 1

I think you want don’t want your IfFileExist method to run asychronously. But that’s what is happening because of the usage of await.

Try changing it to this:

public async Task<System.Collections.Generic.IReadOnlyList<Windows.Storage.StorageFile>> GetFilesAsync()
{
    var folder = ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder;
    return await folder.GetFilesAsync(CommonFileQuery.OrderByName)
                       .AsTask().ConfigureAwait(false);
}

public string IfFileExist(string value, string filename)   
{   
    var files = GetFilesAsync().Result;

    var file = files.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name == filename);   
    if (file != null)   
    {   
        return "ms-appdata:///local/" + filename;   
    }   
    return value;   
}

Instead of using await we are accessing the Result property of the task that is returned by GetFilesAsync, blocking our method until the task finished.

Your original code is quasi-equivalent to the following:

public async Task<string> IfFileExist(string value, string filename) 
{ 
    var folder = ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder; 
    var getFilesAsync = folder.GetFilesAsync(CommonFileQuery.OrderByName); 

    return getFilesAsync.ContinueWith(z => 
    {
        var file = getFilesAsync.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Name == filename); 
        if (file != null) 
        { 
            return "ms-appdata:///local/" + filename; 
        } 
        return (string)value; 
    }
}