VB.Net. Close programatically opened form automatically

Hi Experts.  I have a form that is opened automatically when a button is clicked.  I have set a "for next" loop in the form so that it fades after a certain time if it isnt closed by the user.  My problem is that the entire program freezes while the "for next" loop runs.   I suspect that each instance of the form should be on a seperate thread to avoid this.  Is that correct?  Any solutions would be appreciated.   Thanks in advance.      
LVL 2
PNRTAsked:
Who is Participating?

Improve company productivity with a Business Account.Sign Up

x
Advertise Here
 
Jacques Bourgeois (James Burger)Connect With a Mentor PresidentCommented:
Do not use a For Next loop. Use a timer:

Add a Timer control to the form.

Set its Interval property to the time you want (it's in milliseconds: 10000 = 10 seconds)

fade the form in the Timer's Tick event.
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
    'Fade your form
    Me.Close 'If you want
End Sub

Open in new window


Forms automatically runs on their own thread, so you do not have to care about defining threads between forms.
0
 
nepaluzCommented:
usea backgroundworker to fade it. Show me your codein the for loop and I can wire up a backgroundworker for you.
0
 
Mike TomlinsonMiddle School Assistant TeacherCommented:
You can also place "Application.DoEvents()" inside your loop.
0
Free Tool: Path Explorer

An intuitive utility to help find the CSS path to UI elements on a webpage. These paths are used frequently in a variety of front-end development and QA automation tasks.

One of a set of tools we're offering as a way of saying thank you for being a part of the community.

Access It Instantly
 
Jacques Bourgeois (James Burger)PresidentCommented:
Application.DoEvents would work, but a loop is a very bad way of putting a delay anywhere.

The problem is that the loop won't run for the same length of time on different computers. It might be too short on fast machines, and too long on slower ones.

The timer is the best way to set a delay, because it is independent of the microprocessor speed.
0
 
Mike TomlinsonMiddle School Assistant TeacherCommented:
Just depends on how you wrote your loop!  It could  be time based as well...instead of on a fixed Sleep() interval.

But yes, generally speaking, there is often a better choice than a tight loop with DoEvents() in it.  ;)
0
 
PNRTAuthor Commented:
Thanks everyone for the help.
I understand the timer to do the fading of the form.  But I need the form to appear and stay for say 20 seconds then start the fade which takes about two seconds.  Would I need two timers then?
0
 
Jacques Bourgeois (James Burger)PresidentCommented:
Not necessarily.

The interval of the timer could be reset for 2 seconds after the 20 seconds delay, but both jobs would have to be handled in the same event procedure, which would involve the use of a static variable or another method to know if you are going in the event for the first or second time.

Using 2 timers is thus not only easier, but I think would also be a better design. An object should usually be tasked with only one job.

Simply enable the second timer when the first one fires.
0
Question has a verified solution.

Are you are experiencing a similar issue? Get a personalized answer when you ask a related question.

Have a better answer? Share it in a comment.

All Courses

From novice to tech pro — start learning today.