C# Events between threads executed in their own th

Question

I'd like to have two Threads. Let's call them :

• Thread A
• Thread B

Thread A fires an event and thread B listen to this event. When the Thread B Event Listener is executed, it's executed with the Thread A's thread ID, so i guess it is executed within the Thread A.

What I'd like to do is be able to fire event to Thread B saying something like: "hey, a data is ready for you, you can deal with it now". This event must be executed in its own Thread because it uses things that only him can access (like UI controls).

How can I do that ?

Thank you for you help.

Answer 1

I have only been using C# for a few weeks now but I encountered the same question of how to fire events across threads. There is not a lot of complete examples available (any?) and it was difficult to understand all of the individual pieces from various experts. After some time I finally developed something that works, so I wanted to share a complete example of it on this thread for any newcomers like myself. Also I welcome any expert advice or criticism as I am quite new to C# and surely this can be improved.

This is a complete example minus a small form with 3 buttons and a vertical trackbar, all with default names. Make the form in Designer and overwrite it with the TestEvent class I have, then hook up the 3 buttons OnClick events. The trackbar can be used to select the thread which you want to fire an event to via the buttons, and will automatically scale when you change numThreads in void Main(). Button2 will send an event to shutdown the thread.

The MyEvent class can be used in conjunction with any class implementing the IMyEventActions interface. The class using MyEvent will automatically receive fired events into OnSomethingHappened(...). In addition, the class instantiating MyEvent can subscribe to other classes events recursively. Firing events is easily achieved through the MyEvent.Fire(...) Method.

// Create a designer form with 3 buttons and a vertical trackbar and overwrite
//it with "TestEvent" class near bottom of code, then hook up the buttons to
//button<1/2/3>_OnClick. Event Sibling Subscribing section explains why the
//first 4 event threads all fire at once.

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Threading;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace TestingEventsApplication
{
    using Extensions;
    public delegate void OnSomethingHappenedDel(MyEventArgs e);
    public delegate void EventMarshalDel(IMyEventActions sender, MyEventArgs e);
    static class Program
    {

        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        [STAThread]
        static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
            Console.WriteLine("Thread Main is Thread#" + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId);

            //This controls how many threads we want to make for testing
            int numThreads = 10;

            QuickSync quickSync = new QuickSync();
            MyThread[] myThreads = new MyThread[numThreads];
            TestEvent GUI = new TestEvent(myThreads);
            GUI.TrackbarVal = numThreads-1;
            for (int i = 0; i < numThreads; i++)
            {
                myThreads[i] = new MyThread();
                Thread thread = new Thread(delegate()
                {
                    myThreads[i].Start(quickSync);
                });
                thread.Name = "Thread#" + thread.ManagedThreadId.ToString();
                thread.IsBackground = true;
                thread.Start();
                while (!thread.IsAlive || !quickSync.Sync) { Thread.Sleep(1); }
                myThreads[i].thread = thread;
                Console.WriteLine(thread.Name + " is alive");
                quickSync.Sync = false;
            }

            #region Event Sibling Subscribing
            // ********* Event Sibling Subscribing *********
            // Just for example, I will link Thread 0 to thread 1, then 
            // 1->2,2->3,3->4 so when thread 0 receives an event, so will
            // thread 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Noncommutative.)
            // Loops are perfectly acceptable and will not result in
            // eternal events.
            // e.g. 0->1 + 1->0 is OK, or 0->1 + 1->2 + 2->0... No problem.
            if (numThreads > 0)
                myThreads[0].Event.SubscribeMeTo(myThreads[1].Event);
            //Recursively add thread 2
            if (numThreads > 1)
                myThreads[1].Event.SubscribeMeTo(myThreads[2].Event);
            //Recursively add thread 3
            if (numThreads > 2)
                myThreads[2].Event.SubscribeMeTo(myThreads[3].Event);
            //Recursively add thread 4
            if (numThreads > 3)
                myThreads[3].Event.SubscribeMeTo(myThreads[4].Event);
            #endregion

            Application.Run(GUI);
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Used to determine when a task is complete.
    /// </summary>
    public class QuickSync
    {
        public bool Sync
        {
            get
            {
                lock (this)
                    return sync;
            }
            set
            {
                lock (this)
                    sync = value;
            }
        }

        private bool sync;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// A class representing the operating body of a Background thread. 
    /// Inherits IMyEventActions.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="m">a QuickSync boxed bool.</param>
    public class MyThread : IMyEventActions
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// An reference to the Thread object used by this thread.
        /// </summary>
        public Thread thread { get; set; }

        /// <summary>
        /// Tracks the MyEvent object used by the thread.
        /// </summary>
        public MyEvent Event { get; set;}

        /// <summary>
        /// Satisfies IMyEventActions and provides a method to implement
        /// Event actions
        /// </summary>
        public void OnSomethingHappened(MyEventArgs e)
        {
            switch ((MyEventArgsFuncs)e.Function)
            {
                case MyEventArgsFuncs.Shutdown:
                    Console.WriteLine("Shutdown Event detected... " + Thread.CurrentThread.Name + " exiting");
                    Event.Close();
                    break;
                case MyEventArgsFuncs.SomeOtherEvent:
                    Console.WriteLine("SomeOtherEvent Event detected on " + Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
                    break;
                case MyEventArgsFuncs.TheLastEvent:
                    Console.WriteLine("TheLastEvent Event detected on " + Thread.CurrentThread.Name);
                    break;
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The method used by a thread starting delegate.
        /// </summary>
        public void Start(QuickSync quickSync)
        {
            //MyEvent inherits from Form which inherits from Control which is
            //the key to this whole thing working. It is the BeginInvoke method
            //of Control which allows us to marshal objects between threads,
            //without it any event handlers would simply fire in the same thread
            //which they were triggered. We don't want to see this form though
            //so I've moved it off screen and out of the task bar
            Event = new MyEvent();
            Event.MyEventSender = this;
            Event.SomethingHappened += new EventMarshalDel(Event.EventMarshal);
            Event.FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.FixedToolWindow;
            Event.ShowInTaskbar = false;
            Event.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual;
            Event.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(-10000, -10000);
            Event.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(1, 1);
            System.Windows.Forms.Application.Idle += new EventHandler(OnApplicationIdle);
            quickSync.Sync = true;
            Application.Run(Event);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The operating body of the thread.
        /// </summary>
        private void OnApplicationIdle(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            while (this.AppStillIdle)
            {
                //Do your threads work here...
                Console.Write(".");
                Thread.Sleep(1000);
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Monitors the Threads msg procedure to make sure we handle messages.
        /// </summary>
        public bool AppStillIdle
        {
            get
            {
                Win32.NativeMessage msg;
                return !Win32.PeekMessage(out msg, IntPtr.Zero, 0, 0, 0);
            }
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Houses all of the plumbing necessary to fire cross thread events.
    /// </summary>
    public class MyEvent : System.Windows.Forms.Form
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// A reference to the object using this MyEvent, used during recursion.
        /// </summary>
        public IMyEventActions MyEventSender { get; set; }

        /// <summary>
        /// Lock for somethingHappened delegate access.
        /// </summary>
        public readonly object someEventLock = new object();

        /// <summary>
        /// Public access to the event SomethingHappened with a locking
        /// subscription mechanism for thread safety.
        /// </summary>
        public event EventMarshalDel SomethingHappened
        {
            add
            {
                lock (someEventLock)
                    somethingHappened += value;
            }
            remove
            {
                lock (someEventLock) //Contributes to preventing race condition
                    somethingHappened -= value;
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The trigger of MyEvent class.
        /// </summary>
        public void Fire(MyEventArgs e)
        {
            //After rigorous testing I found this was the simplest way to solve
            //the classic event race condition. I rewired RaiseEvent and
            //EventMarshal to increase race condition tendency, and began
            //looping only iterating between 20 and 200 times I was able to
            //observe the race condition every time, with this lock in place,
            //I have iterated 10's of thousands of times without failure.
            lock (someEventLock)
                somethingHappened.RaiseEvent(MyEventSender, e);
            Thread.Sleep(1); //Optional, may make things more fluid.
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The Event Marshal.
        /// </summary>
        public void EventMarshal(IMyEventActions sender, MyEventArgs e)
        {
                if (sender.Event.InvokeRequired)
                    //Without the lock in Fire() a race condition would occur
                    //here when one thread closes the MyEvent form and another
                    //tries to Invoke it.
                    sender.Event.BeginInvoke(
                        new OnSomethingHappenedDel(sender.OnSomethingHappened),
                        new object[] { e });
                else
                    sender.OnSomethingHappened(e);
            if (SiblingEvents.Count > 0) Recurs(e);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Provides safe recursion and event propagation through siblings.
        /// </summary>
        public void Recurs(MyEventArgs e)
        {
            e.Event.Add(this);
            foreach (MyEvent m in SiblingEvents)
                lock (m.someEventLock) //Prevents Race with UnSubscribeMeTo()
                    if (!e.Event.Contains(m)) //Provides safety from Eternals
                        m.Fire(e);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Adds sibling MyEvent classes which to fire synchronously.
        /// </summary>
        public void SubscribeMeTo(MyEvent m)
        {
            if (this != m) SiblingEvents.Add(m);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Removes sibling MyEvent's.
        /// </summary>
        public void UnSubscribeMeTo(MyEvent m)
        {
            lock (m.someEventLock) //Prevents race condition with Recurs()
                if (SiblingEvents.Contains(m)) SiblingEvents.Remove(m);
        }

        protected override void OnFormClosing(FormClosingEventArgs e)
        {
            SomethingHappened -= somethingHappened;
            base.OnFormClosing(e);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Delegate backing the SomethingHappened event.
        /// </summary>
        private EventMarshalDel somethingHappened;

        /// <summary>
        /// A list of siblings to Eventcast.
        /// </summary>
        private List<MyEvent> SiblingEvents = new List<MyEvent>();
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// The interface used by MyThread to enlist OnSomethingHappened arbiter.
    /// </summary>
    public interface IMyEventActions
    {
        void OnSomethingHappened(MyEventArgs e);
        MyEvent Event { get; set; }
    }

    public enum MyEventArgsFuncs : int
    {
        Shutdown = 0,
        SomeOtherEvent,
        TheLastEvent
    };

    /// <summary>
    /// Uses a string-referable enum to target functions handled
    /// by OnSomethingHappened.
    /// </summary>
    public class MyEventArgs : EventArgs
    {
        public int Function { get; set; }
        public List<MyEvent> Event = new List<MyEvent>();
        public MyEventArgs(string s)
        {
            this.Function = (int)Enum.Parse(typeof(MyEventArgsFuncs), s);
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// This is a form with 3 buttons and a trackbar on it.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="m">An array of MyThread objects.</param>
    // Create a designer form with 3 buttons and a trackbar and overwrite it
    // with this, then hook up the buttons to button<1/2/3>_OnClick. 
    public partial class TestEvent : Form
    {
        public TestEvent()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        public TestEvent(MyThread[] t)
            : this()
        {
            myThreads = t;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// This button will fire a test event, which will write to the
        /// console via OnSomethingHappened in another thread.
        /// </summary>
        private void button1_OnClick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Firing SomeOtherEvent from Thread#" + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " (Main)");
            myThreads[TrackbarVal].Event.Fire(new MyEventArgs("SomeOtherEvent"));
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// This button will fire an event, which remotely shut down the
        /// myEvent form and kill the thread.
        /// </summary>
        private void button2_OnClick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Firing Shutdown event from Thread#" + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " (Main)");
            myThreads[TrackbarVal].Event.Fire(new MyEventArgs("Shutdown"));
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// This button will fire TheLastEvent, which will write to the
        /// console via OnSomethingHappened in another thread.
        /// </summary>
        private void button3_OnClick(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Firing TheLastEvent from Thread#" + Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId + " (Main)");
            myThreads[TrackbarVal].Event.Fire(new MyEventArgs("TheLastEvent"));
        }

        public int TrackbarVal
        {
            get { return this.trackBar1.Value; }
            set { this.trackBar1.Maximum = value; }
        }

        private MyThread[] myThreads;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Stores Win32 API's.
    /// </summary>
    public class Win32
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Used to determine if there are messages waiting
        /// </summary>
        [System.Security.SuppressUnmanagedCodeSecurity]
        [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
        [DllImport("User32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
        public static extern bool PeekMessage(out NativeMessage message, IntPtr handle, uint filterMin, uint filterMax, uint flags);

        [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
        public struct NativeMessage
        {
            public IntPtr handle;
            public uint msg;
            public IntPtr wParam;
            public IntPtr lParam;
            public uint time;
            public System.Drawing.Point p;
        }
    }
}

namespace Extensions
{
    using System;
    using TestingEventsApplication;

    /// <summary>
    /// An extension method to null test for any OnSomethingHappened
    /// event handlers.
    /// </summary>
    public static class Extension
    {
        public static void RaiseEvent(this EventMarshalDel @event, IMyEventActions sender, MyEventArgs e)
        {
            if (@event != null)
                @event(sender, e);
        }
    }
}

Answer 2

The easiest way is probably to subscribe using an event handler which just marshal the "real" handler call onto thread B. For instance, the handler could call Control.BeginInvoke to do some work on thread B:

MethodInvoker realAction = UpdateTextBox;
foo.SomeEvent += (sender, args) => textBox.BeginInvoke(realAction);

...

private void UpdateTextBox()
{
    // Do your real work here
}

Answer 3

If you're using Windows Forms or WPF, and do not have a Control reference handy from your event handlers, you could also capture the reference of System.Threading.SynchronizationContext.Current in something running on the UI thread, and expose that reference to your event handlers.

Then, when you need to have something run on the UI thread, invoke Post() or Send() on the captured SynchronizationContext reference from your event handler, depending on whether you want it to be run asynchronously or synchronously.

Basically this is just sugar around capturing a Control reference and calling Invoke() on it, but can make your code simpler.

Answer 4

You'll need to marshal the information back into the UI thread.

Typically, you would handle this in your Event handler. For example, say Thread A was your UI thread - when it subscribed to an event on an object in Thread B, the event handler will be run inside Thread B. However, it can then just marshal this back into the UI thread:

// In Thread A (UI) class...
private void myThreadBObject_EventHandler(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.button1.BeginInvoke( new Action(
        () => 
            {
                // Put your "work" here, and it will happen on the UI thread...
            }));
}