Thread problem - C# Discussion Boards

Re: Creating Installation Package for a C# Application with web reference

13-May-04 2:00

You can add the URL to the Web Service to your .config file, for example. You can actually do this in the PropertyGrid of VS.NET under Bindings, (Advanced); or programmatically by setting the Url property of the Web Service proxy.

As far as changing that, you could extend the Installer class and in your derivative get the path to the .config file as well as the URL from the Context.Parameters property (Context is an inheritted property from the Installer class). You would have your Installer derivative use the XML DOM to change/add the URL to your .config file (perhaps in the appSettings section). You'd pass the two parameters by adding your assembly with the Installer class (attributed with the RunInstallerAttribute) as a Custom Action, and modify the command-line with the switches you specified as the keys to get the parameter values from Context.Parameters. To get the path to your .config file, pass something like [INSTALLDIR]MyApp.exe.config. [INSTALLDIR] will be replaced by the installation directory and the trailing \. In decent Windows Installers development environments, you could actually specify the path to the file itself using a file key property, but VS.NET's project automatically generates these at compile time so you'd have to make such a change with a tool like Orca after it's compiled, which requires knowledge of the MSI database.

Another option - though I don't recommend it - may be easier. Just write the URL to the registry (a UI for registry entries is provided in the VS.NET Windows Installer project editor) and read it in your application. I don't recommend this since .NET applications really shouldn't use the registry. It makes touchless deployments impossible. In your case, however, this really doesn't seem to be a problem (though you should consider defaulting to some URL, like a public instance of this Web Service, if available).

So, how does the user put this URL in? In both cases, go to the UI editor and add a new form to the installation with a single text box. Give this text box a property name in the PropertyGrid. It's this property name (as [MYPROPNAME] - use the square backets) that you'd pass to your Installer derivative or write to the registry key. Again, you should consider a default (or make sure your app handles the absence of a URL correctly and in a user-friendly manner.

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Anonymous18-May-04 4:35

Anonymous

18-May-04 4:35

Thanks Heath,

Aryadip helped with the first part and you with the second. The installation package is done.

Praveen

Thread problem

michael.wikstrom13-May-04 1:08

michael.wikstrom

13-May-04 1:08

I seem to be having a problem with threads. I have modified the main function, so that i can run one application first, then when it disposes itself it will jump to the next line in the main function and finally i run the second application. I get errors with window handlers and controls not showing any graphics although i have invoked them. Am i missing something important here?

[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
try
{
Client c = new Client();
GameClient g;

Application.Run(c);
while(!SHUTDOWN)
{
if (!SHUTDOWN)
{
g = new GameClient(c.connection.Socket,c.connection.Username,c.connection.Table,c.connection.Users);
Application.Run(g);
Thread.Sleep(1000);
//c = new Client();
//c = new Client(c.connection.Socket,c.connection.User);
//Application.Run(c);
SHUTDOWN = true;
}
}
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("Client.Main " + ex.Message);
}
}

Usercontrol Problem

Anfernius12-May-04 23:43

Anfernius

12-May-04 23:43

Hi,

I'm developing a component to use in a project i'm part of, and i'm experiencing some troubles regarding the control position:

In design mode i create the control, locate it in the win form, but when i run the application the control changes it's position and size (and some other properties) to default values.

Can anyone help with this?

Best Regards,
Anfernius

Aryadip13-May-04 0:10

Aryadip

13-May-04 0:10

hi,
this should not happen in normal senario. You need to check your "OnPreRender" code to make sure you are not reinitializing the property values. Did you set the default value of the properties by using "DefaultValue" attribute??... if not then do that and check.

regards,
Aryadip.

Cheers !! and have a Funky day !!

Anfernius13-May-04 0:55

Anfernius

13-May-04 0:55

Thanks for the reply, well i don't implement OnPreRender, so i belive the compiler calls for the base.OnPreRender.

I did notice something, the only values that are changed before runing the aplication are the ones enherited from UserControl, namely Position, BackColor and ForeColor.

Another strange thing happened when I used the DefaultValue applyed to BackColor, here is the situation:

// Initialization of BackColor<br />
private Color m_cBackColor = Color.DimGray;<br />
<br />
// Setting the Property<br />
[Category("TS Colors"), DefaultValue("Color.Green")]<br />
public override Color BackColor<br />
{ (...) }<br />

So here's the problem, I don't seem to be able to define a DefaultValue for color, since DefaultValue needs a constant value, but the fun thing is that it works, though strangely.
If i dont put something in defaultValue, the changed color draw back to Color.DimGray, by doing DefaultValue("Color.Green") (although its not valid) it works...

Dead | X|

Regards,

Anfernius

Heath Stewart13-May-04 3:15

13-May-04 3:15

The DefaultValueAttribute takes a value of the property Type. "Color.Green" is a string - BackColor is a property.

Since Color.Green is not a constant value, you can not use it in the DefaultValueAttribute. Instead, set the BackColor of your control (which you really don't need to attribute like you are, or even override it) in your constructor or something.

To make it work like it had a default value, define methods called ShouldSerializeBackColor and ResetBackColor like so:

public class MyControl : Control
{
  public static readonly Color DefaultBackColor = Color.Green;
  public MyControl()
  {
    BackColor = DefaultBackColor;
  }
  protected bool ShouldSerializeBackColor()
  {
    return BackColor != DefaultBackColor;
  }
  protected void ResetBackColor()
  {
    BackColor = DefaultBackColor;
  }
}

The designer uses these two methods via Reflection (seemingly) in a similar fashion as using a DefaultValueAttribute.

One other option is to use the DefaultValueAttribute overload which takes a Type and string like so:

public class MyControl : Control
{
  public static readonly Color DefaultBackColor = Color.Green;
  public MyControl()
  {
    BackColor = DefaultBackColor;
  }
  [DefaultValue(typeof(Color), "Green")]
  public override BackColor
  {
    get { return base.BackColor; }
    set { base.BackColor = value; }
  }
}

The latter example you may find easier, but only works for Types that have a TypeConverter associated with them. Use whichever you prefer. In either case, though, you must still set the default BackColor during initialization.

Microsoft MVP, Visual C#
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Anfernius13-May-04 6:19

Anfernius

13-May-04 6:19

Thanks very much, problem solved!

Regards,
Anfernius

Heath Stewart13-May-04 3:05

DragDrop registration failed

13-May-04 3:05

OnPreRender is only for ASP.NET, which the user gave no indication of using.

Microsoft MVP, Visual C#
My Articles

michael.wikstrom12-May-04 22:32

michael.wikstrom

12-May-04 22:32

I get this error "DragDrop registration failed" when setting the AllowDrop property in a control. Im accessing a control from a different thread than the one that created the control. I use invoke when adding and removing,, the problem is i dont know if i have to invoke the dragdrop event or how it should be done.

Re: DragDrop registration failed

Heath Stewart13-May-04 3:03

13-May-04 3:03

Drag and drop registration must be performed on the STA thread, so it must be called from the thread on which the control was created. If you're setting the AllowDrop property from a different thread, use Invoke for that as well, getting the get accessor using Reflection and creating a delegate that matches the signature. Call Control.Invoke using that delegate that references the get accessor method.

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GDI+ Image from Graphics

mhmoud rawas12-May-04 22:10

12-May-04 22:10

Dear All,
i have a problem as the following :
i have draw some shapeson a control then i would like to stor the result in an image object but i could not do you have any information about this problem ??

Thanks for help

Mhmoud Rawas
------------
Software Eng.

sprout7412-May-04 22:31

sprout74

12-May-04 22:31

check out here. Some of the explanations are in vb, but you can see the processes.

mhmoud rawas12-May-04 23:35

12-May-04 23:35

sorry Sir,

you did not cacth it i don't ask about GIF but i am asking about saveing a screenshot of a control or form without using GDI i would like just to use GDI+

thanks for your replay

Mhmoud Rawas
------------
Software Eng.

Heath Stewart13-May-04 3:01

13-May-04 3:01

The easiest way of creating a screenshot is to P/Invoke BitBlt and related GDI functions.

One thing you could try is in your override to OnPaint, call the base.OnPaint first, then draw your custom object. Finally, create a new Bitmap like so:

Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(this.Size.Width, this.Size.Height, e.Graphics;

...where e is the PaintEventArgs passed to your handler. It's worth a try.

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mhmoud rawas13-May-04 4:19

13-May-04 4:19

Dear Heath,

Thanks for help but for using bitblt i have to deal with HDC and i would like to make my application independent from the OS,
as for the second way i have try it before it didn't work becuse BitMap constructor use the graphics just for setting the bitmap rosolution and it don't get the drawon ojects from the graphics

<br />
protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)<br />
{<br />
	e.Graphics.Clear(Color.White);<br />
	e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Blue , 0 , 0, 100 , 100 );<br />
	Bitmap b = new Bitmap(100 ,100 , e.Graphics );<br />
	b.Save("c:\\test.bmp");<br />
{<br />

 <br />
protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)<br />
{<br />
	Bitmap b = new Bitmap(100 ,100 , e.Graphics );<br />
	e.Graphics.Clear(Color.White);<br />
	e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Blue , 0 , 0, 100 , 100 );<br />
	b.Save("c:\\test.bmp");<br />
}<br />

both tests gives me blank image

so do you know where is the problem

Regrads

Mhmoud Rawas
------------
Software Eng.

Heath Stewart13-May-04 4:50

13-May-04 4:50

Well, yes, I know, but you can use that (basically, it creates a compatible bitmap) to draw into as well.That was the intention. Also, don't save with every call to OnPaint - do you realize how much a performance hit you'll take? Use a state variable or something.

Without using BitBlt to source-copy an HDC, about the only other option (because this is a Windows-specific operation) is to create a compatible Bitmap (using a Graphics object from CreateGraphics), then getting the Graphics object from the Bitmap. This results in about what CreateCompatibleDC does.

You then pass that second Graphics to OnPaint like so:

using (Graphics g1 = CreateGraphics())
{
  using (Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(Bounds.Width, Bounds.Height, g1))
  {
    using (Graphics g2 = Graphics.FromImage(bmp))
    {
      PaintEventArgs e = new PaintEventArgs(g2, Bounds);
      OnPaint(e);
    }

    bmp.Save(filename);
  }
}

This will only capture what you've drawn, however.

Keep in mind that one provider for Windows Forms in Mono is Wine, so all this stuff would still work. This type of functionality is specific to the window manager, though. Some things can't be written genericly (like modifying controls using Windows messaging since you can't always do this using the .NET FCL).

Microsoft MVP, Visual C#
My Articles

mhmoud rawas14-May-04 19:45

14-May-04 19:45

Dear Heath

first of all thanks for giveing me your time,

the last caode which i have wrtie was just for testing i know that it is not applicable to save a picture in a paint event but as l have told you that is was just for testing.

i have tryed your code but as i think it did not do the job i want, actually i have a paint event which will take a long time so i would like to draw it on the form or control bordar then i would like to capture an in=mage from the drawn control to redraw it just for refreshment with out changing the drawing zoom, when i have tryed your sample it just draw the image and dont draw on the control as i want let me give you this -sample-

protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
{
  e.Graphics.Clear(Color.White);
  DateTime dt = DateTime.Now;
  for ( int i = 0 ; i < 600 ; i++)
    for ( int j = 0 ;  j < 600 ; j++)
    {
       e.Graphics.DrawLine(Pens.Blue , i,j,i+3,j+3);
    }
    label1.Text = ((TimeSpan)(DateTime.Now - dt)).TotalMilliseconds.ToString() ;
    base.OnPaint (e);
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
  using (Graphics g1 = CreateGraphics())
  {  
    using (Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(Bounds.Width, Bounds.Height, g1))  
    {    
      using (Graphics g2 = Graphics.FromImage(bmp))    
    {      
    PaintEventArgs ee = new PaintEventArgs(g2, Bounds);      
    OnPaint(ee);    
  }    
  bmp.Save("C:\\Tt.BMP");  
}

so if you try it you will find that when you click the button it will just draw the image not both image and control,

be carfull i would like from you to test the last sample using control paramater double buffer to false,

also i need something if -and only if- we set double buffer to true how can we reach the buffer where it seems like if we create a fixed HDC for the control and we can draw use it as a source in BitBlt function, so if we can create an image based on that buffer it will be great.

finally for give me for the long replay but i have search for it in the MSDN and i could not get any information about this problem so i appreciate your help

Regards,

Mhmoud Rawas
------------
Software Eng.

Heath Stewart16-May-04 11:17