Question

Is there a simple solution/idea/strategy to create a setTimeout equivalent function in a WinForms app. I’m primarily a web developer but am not sure how I’d go about this in a WinForms App. Basically, I have a textbox, and after each keystroke I want to run a task to populate a list (like an auto-complete type thingy) but want to be able to cancel (e.g. clearTimeout) if the user keeps entering characters…

My only guess is to perhaps use a BackGroundWorker and make it sleep initially, and while it is sleeping, it could be cancelled, if the user stops entering keys and the sleep period ends, it then goes and runs the task etc

(i don’t care if an example is C# or Vb.Net)

Answer 1

You can use a System.Timers.Timer: set AutoReset to false and use Start/Stop methods and create a handler for the Elapsed event.

Here’s an example implementation in vb.net:

  Public Sub SetTimeout(act As Action, timeout as Integer)
    Dim aTimer As System.Timers.Timer
    aTimer = New System.Timers.Timer(1)
    ' Hook up the Elapsed event for the timer. 
    AddHandler aTimer.Elapsed, Sub () act
    aTimer.AutoReset = False
    aTimer.Enabled = True
  End Sub