Crossthread operation not valid... - VB.NET

Question

Hello everyone...

I am using vb.net, and in my program I get this 'crossthread operation not valid' error when I run my backgroundworker that will make this textbox enabled true. My main sub will first turn the enabled to false, and when the backgroundworker runs it will turn it back true then exit. Why does it give me an error? FYI: There is more code to this but I don't want to make it any more confusing...

Here is the stack trace:

at System.Windows.Forms.Control.get_Handle()
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnEnabledChanged(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.set_Enabled(Boolean value)
   at Helium.Form1.BackgroundWorker1_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e) in C:\Users\Kevin\documents\visual studio 2010\Projects\Helium\Helium\Form1.vb:line 167
   at System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker.OnDoWork(DoWorkEventArgs e)
   at System.ComponentModel.BackgroundWorker.WorkerThreadStart(Object argument)

and here is the exact error message:

{"Cross-thread operation not valid: Control 'mainText' accessed from a thread other than the thread it was created on."}

Can someone please help me out!

Thanks,

KEvin

Answer 1

You cannot directly set a control's property that is on the UI thread from another thread. It can be done though, here is an example from msdn.

Private Sub SetText(ByVal [text] As String)

    ' InvokeRequired required compares the thread ID of the'
    ' calling thread to the thread ID of the creating thread.'
    ' If these threads are different, it returns true.'
    If Me.textBox1.InvokeRequired Then
        Dim d As New SetTextCallback(AddressOf SetText)
        Me.Invoke(d, New Object() {[text]})
    Else
        Me.textBox1.Text = [text]
    End If
End Sub

Answer 2

Where exactly do you set the Enabled property? If you do it within the DoWork event handler, this code is running on a different thread than the button was created on, which should give the exception that you experience. To get around this, you should use BeginInvoke. For convenience it could be wrapped into a method, like so:

Private Sub SetControlEnabled(ByVal ctl As Control, ByVal enabled As Boolean)
    If ctl.InvokeRequired Then
        ctl.BeginInvoke(New Action(Of Control, Boolean)(AddressOf SetControlEnabled), ctl, enabled)
    Else
        ctl.Enabled = enabled
    End If
End Sub

Now you can safely call that method to enable or disable any control from any thread:

SetControlEnabled(someButton, False)

Answer 3

The purpose of the BackgroundWorker class is to perform work on a non-GUI thread while the GUI remains responsive. Unless you set Control.CheckForIllegalCrossThreadCalls to false (which you shouldn't do), or use Invoke as suggested in the other answers (which I also wouldn't recommend), you're going to get an illegal cross-thread operation exception.

If you want GUI-related "stuff" to happen while your BackgroundWorker is running, I'd generally recommend using the BackgroundWorker.ReportProgress method and attaching an appropriate handler to the BackgroundWorker.ProgressChanged event. If you want something on the GUI to happen once the BackgroundWorker is finished, then simply attach your handler to update the GUI to the BackgroundWorker.RunWorkerCompleted event.