VB.Net Asynchronous background worker inside a loop.

Question

Im using Vb.net visual studio 2008. i have got a process(system.diagnostics.process) to be run in background and it updates the Ui thread progressbar and a label and i have worked it using backgroundworker.runworkerAsync. Now the problem is i have to work the same process for a number of time with different inputs.

The code block is :

Private Sub fnStartEvent(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnStart.click

Dim inputFolder = Directory.GetFiles(textboxSourceFolder.text) 
Dim currentNumberOfFile As Integer=1
For each Files in inputFolder
   Dim arguments As Object = Files
   updateProgressStatus(0, currentNumberOfFile)
   BackgroundWorker1.WorkerReportsProgress = True
   BackgroundWorker1.RunWorkerAsync(New Object() {arguments})
  currentNumberOfFile += 1
  Next       
End Sub

  Private Sub BackgroundWorker1_DoWork(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.DoWorkEventArgs) Handles BackgroundWorker1.DoWork
  'uses the arguments
      Dim Bg_process As System.Diagnostics.Process = New System.Diagnostics.Process
            With Bg_process.StartInfo
                .Arguments = str_arguments
                .FileName = ffmpegPath
                .CreateNoWindow = True
                .UseShellExecute = False
                .RedirectStandardOutput = True
                .RedirectStandardError = True
            End With

            Bg_process.Start()
            Dim outputReader As StreamReader = Bg_process.StandardError
            Dim output As String

            While Not Bg_process.HasExited
                output = outputReader.ReadLine()
                BackgroundWorker1.ReportProgress(0, output)
                Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
            End While
      End Sub

 Private Sub BackgroundWorker1_ProgressChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.ProgressChangedEventArgs) Handles BackgroundWorker1.ProgressChanged
   ' process args

updateProgressStatus(args(0), args(1) )
End Sub

Private Function BackgroundWorker1_RunWorkerCompleted(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.RunWorkerCompletedEventArgs)  Handles BackgroundWorker1.RunWorkerCompleted
            Messagebox.Show(e.error.ToString)
End Try

  Sub updateProgressStatus(ByVal progressValue As Integer, ByVal progressStatus As String)
progressBar.value = progressValue
lblprogressStatus.Text = progressStatus
      End Sub

The problem in here is the fnStartEvent method once gets started, it calls BackgroundWorker1.runWorkerAsync process and that runs in a seperate thread and does not wait for the thread to complete and it moves to the next line of code i.e loops to the next item and it returns to same BackgroundWorker1.runWorkerAsync line and throws exception that it is already running.

Tried 1.

    Private Sub fnStartEvent(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnStart.click
    Dim inputFolder = Directory.GetFiles(textboxSourceFolder.text) 
    Dim currentNumberOfFile As Integer=1
    For each Files in inputFolder

       Dim arguments As Object = Files
       updateProgressStatus(0, currentNumberOfFile)
       BackgroundWorker1.WorkerReportsProgress = True
       BackgroundWorker1.RunWorkerAsync(New Object() {arguments})
    ''
       Do Until BackgroundWorker1.IsBusy
       Thread.Sleep(500)
       Loop

  currentNumberOfFile += 1
  Next       
End Sub

But this does not updates the Ui thread used to denote progress.

2.Put the whole process inside the DoWork thread and loop for each file in there itself, but that to returns the cross thread error in progress bar updation.

what is the standard procedure in executing a loop for the backgroundworker to wait for finishing as well as update the UI without blocking it.

Answer 1

Whenever you use Thread.Sleep, you are actually sleeping the current thread that is hooked to your startup class (ie. Form). So, if you sleep your main thread, no UI updates will happen.

Per the MSDN article regarding BackgroundWorker.IsBusy, you need to throw an Application.DoEvents. Code below is copied from the article linked above.

Private Sub downloadButton_Click( _
    ByVal sender As Object, _
    ByVal e As EventArgs) _
    Handles downloadButton.Click

    ' Start the download operation in the background.
    Me.backgroundWorker1.RunWorkerAsync()

    ' Disable the button for the duration of the download.
    Me.downloadButton.Enabled = False

    ' Once you have started the background thread you 
    ' can exit the handler and the application will 
    ' wait until the RunWorkerCompleted event is raised.

    ' If you want to do something else in the main thread,
    ' such as update a progress bar, you can do so in a loop 
    ' while checking IsBusy to see if the background task is
    ' still running.
    While Me.backgroundWorker1.IsBusy
        progressBar1.Increment(1)
        ' Keep UI messages moving, so the form remains 
        ' responsive during the asynchronous operation.
        Application.DoEvents()
    End While
End Sub