Cross thread control update

Here is a very nice way to update a UI control from a worker thread...

string newText = "abc"; // running on worker thread
this.Invoke((MethodInvoker)delegate {
    someLabel.Text = newText; // runs on UI thread
});

Here is how it is done in WPF

if (someLabel.Dispatcher.CheckAccess())
    someLabel.Text = newText;
else
    someLabel.Dispatcher.Invoke(new Action(() => someLabel.Text = newText), null);
    DoEvents();

And a WPF 'DoEvents' equivalent

public void DoEvents()
{
   try
   {
      Application.Current.Dispatcher.Invoke(System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherPriority.Background, new Action(delegate { }));
   }
   catch { }
}

A great way to define a class with disposing

If you are creating a class that hold unmanaged resources or 'fat' managed resources you want released immediately (instead of waiting for the GC), you can implement them like this pattern or like this:

In the project, define these two classes:


public interface IDisposer : IDisposable
{    
    void Initialize(Action disposeCallback);

    public class Disposer : IDisposer 
    {
        private readonly Action _disposeCallback;

        public void Initialize(Action disposeCallback) 
        {
            _disposeCallback = disposeCallback;
        }

        public void Dispose() 
        {
            _disposeCallback(true);
        }
    }
}

public interface IDisposerFactory : IDisposable
{
    IDisposer Create(Action disposeAction);
}


Then use this pattern when defining new class that have the unmanaged/fat resources:


pubic class YourBuggyClass : IDisposable
{
    private readonly IDisposer _disposer;

    public YourBuggyClass(IDisposerFactory disposerFactory)
    {
        _disposer = disposerFactory.create((disposing) => 
                    DoRealDispose(disposing));
    }

    private void DoRealDispose(bool disposing) {
        // dispose your unmanaged/fat stuff here
    }

    public void Dispose() 
    {
        _disposer.Dispose();
    }
}