Show "Spinning Wheel” over my Windows Forms application

Question

I have a Windows Forms application, in my application i load files into a list box and sometimes this could take few seconds so in this time i want to show "Spinning Wheel” and i found this Gif: http://www.ajaxload.info/ is it possible to add it to my application while my application is busy over the controllers ?

I cannot using Cursor.Current = Cursors.WaitCursor, only System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting.Cursor — user3271698, Feb 24 '14 at 14:46
You can use a backgroundworker that updates a progressbar/image if you want to use that. — Tan, Feb 24 '14 at 14:49
@user3271698 what I mean is when you are doing your work in the backgroundworkder you can show a dialog with an image of a progressbar then close the dialog when task is finished. Or you can use the default progressbar. — Tan, Feb 24 '14 at 15:49
it is important that you use somekind of async call/Backgroundworker if not the applciation will just freeze and you will not see your progressbar. Take a look at this http://www.codeproject.com/Tips/83317/BackgroundWorker-and-ProgressBar-demo — Tan, Feb 24 '14 at 15:53

Johan · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-24T15:41:37.317

Yes

Found some old code from a project where I had it. Edited out a few things, you should be able to get it working easily.

Invoke it:

GuiCursor.WaitCursor(() => { yourclass.DoSomething(); });

The class

internal class GuiCursor
{

    private static GuiCursor instance = new GuiCursor();

    private GuiCursor() { }
    static GuiCursor() { }

    internal static void WaitCursor(MethodInvoker oper)
    {
        if (Form.ActiveForm != null && !Thread.CurrentThread.IsBackground)
        {
            Form myform = Form.ActiveForm;
            myform.Cursor = Cursors.WaitCursor;

            try
            {
                oper();
            }
            finally
            {
                myform.Cursor = Cursors.Default;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            oper();
        }
    }

    internal static void ToggleWaitCursor(Form form, bool wait)
    {
        if (form != null)
        {
            if (form.InvokeRequired)
            {
                form.Invoke(new MethodInvoker(() => { form.Cursor = wait? Cursors.WaitCursor : Cursors.Default; }));
            }
            else
            {
                form.Cursor = wait ? Cursors.WaitCursor : Cursors.Default;
            }
        }
    }

    internal static void Run(Form form)
    {
        try
        {
            Application.Run(form);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString());
        }
    }
}

As by request, an example. Create a new winform project to test it out. As default you get a Form1. Add a button to it, double click on it so you get a autogenerated method to it.

Replace the class Form1 with this.

public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            GuiCursor.WaitCursor(() => { DoSomething(); });
        }

        private void DoSomething()
        {
            Thread.Sleep(3000);
        }
    }



    internal class GuiCursor
    {

        private static GuiCursor instance = new GuiCursor();

        private GuiCursor() { }
        static GuiCursor() { }

        internal static void WaitCursor(MethodInvoker oper)
        {
            if (Form.ActiveForm != null && !Thread.CurrentThread.IsBackground)
            {
                Form myform = Form.ActiveForm;
                myform.Cursor = Cursors.WaitCursor;

                try
                {
                    oper();
                }
                finally
                {
                    myform.Cursor = Cursors.Default;
                }
            }
            else
            {
                oper();
            }
        }

        internal static void ToggleWaitCursor(Form form, bool wait)
        {
            if (form != null)
            {
                if (form.InvokeRequired)
                {
                    form.Invoke(new MethodInvoker(() => { form.Cursor = wait ? Cursors.WaitCursor : Cursors.Default; }));
                }
                else
                {
                    form.Cursor = wait ? Cursors.WaitCursor : Cursors.Default;
                }
            }
        }

        internal static void Run(Form form)
        {
            try
            {
                Application.Run(form);
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString());
            }
        }
    }

I put it as new class in my project and the variable isWaitCursor not recognized — user3271698, Feb 24 '14 at 14:58
If you can not get that working, then try this one: void ToggleWaitCursor(Form form, bool wait), send in a reference to your active form and if you want it to show wait or not. Then when your operation is done, do it again to tell it to stop showing waitcursor. — Johan, Feb 24 '14 at 15:21
Can you show me please an code example ? (i am new developer...) — user3271698, Feb 24 '14 at 15:23

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 24 '14 at 14:51

2

A little trick to do this could be to use a PictureBox with image in it. On button click, make the PictureBox visible and hide it again after click operation is completed.

answered Feb 24 '14 at 14:51

danish

5,550
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I can use the link above and see this circle spinning ? – user3271698 Feb 24 '14 at 14:53
Save that GIF file and place that in to your project. Use this image for PictureBox. – danish Feb 24 '14 at 14:54

Show "Spinning Wheel” over my Windows Forms application

2 Answers2

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