Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms applications,
and not in console applications and/or windows services ?

If have an object (Task) that instantiates different backgroundworker
instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works fine. If
I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but will
never fire my real object.

Any help would be nice.

Although I haven't tried different environments, I don't see a reason why
this would be true. The backgroundworker is a wrapper for threads - threads
work everywhere. Now you may have some issues with webforms due to the
timing of the long running tasks and the availability of the context object
however that is not related to it functioning correctly. I'll check tonight
to make sure - there's always a chance that I'm wrong.

--
Regards,
Alvin Bruney [MVP ASP.NET]

[Shameless Author plug]
The Microsoft Office Web Components Black Book with .NET
Now Available @ www.lulu.com/owc
Forth-coming VSTO.NET - Wrox/Wiley 2006
-------------------------------------------------------



"Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:F7202F0E-FEBA-4FEB-8662-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms
applications,
> and not in console applications and/or windows services ?
>
> If have an object (Task) that instantiates different backgroundworker
> instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works fine.
If
> I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but will
> never fire my real object.
>
> Any help would be nice.
>

"Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:F7202F0E-FEBA-4FEB-8662-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms
> applications,
> and not in console applications and/or windows services ?
>
> If have an object (Task) that instantiates different backgroundworker
> instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works fine.
> If
> I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but will
> never fire my real object.
>
> Any help would be nice.
>

The BackgroundWorker cannot be used from windows services, it is designed
to be used in combination with a UI thread, that is a thread that has a
message queue, windows services don't have a UI thread or a thread that
pumps the message queue.

Willy.

Willy,

Thanks for your answer. It's not documented however. Do you know if there's
a simple way to achieve the same functionality in a windows service ?

Michel


"Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:

>
> "Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:F7202F0E-FEBA-4FEB-8662-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms
> > applications,
> > and not in console applications and/or windows services ?
> >
> > If have an object (Task) that instantiates different backgroundworker
> > instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works fine.
> > If
> > I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but will
> > never fire my real object.
> >
> > Any help would be nice.
> >
>
> The BackgroundWorker cannot be used from windows services, it is designed
> to be used in combination with a UI thread, that is a thread that has a
> message queue, windows services don't have a UI thread or a thread that
> pumps the message queue.
>
> Willy.
>
>
>

> > The BackgroundWorker cannot be used from windows services, it is
designed
> > to be used in combination with a UI thread
true, true. i forgot that part.

> Thanks for your answer. It's not documented however. Do you know if
there's
> a simple way to achieve the same functionality in a windows service ?
You can use a simple thread to accomplish this task.

--
Regards,
Alvin Bruney [MVP ASP.NET]

[Shameless Author plug]
The Microsoft Office Web Components Black Book with .NET
Now Available @ www.lulu.com/owc
Forth-coming VSTO.NET - Wrox/Wiley 2006
-------------------------------------------------------



"Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:EFDE5223-06E8-4D5B-96F3-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Willy,
>
> Thanks for your answer. It's not documented however. Do you know if
there's
> a simple way to achieve the same functionality in a windows service ?
>
> Michel
>
>
> "Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
>
> >
> > "Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:F7202F0E-FEBA-4FEB-8662-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms
> > > applications,
> > > and not in console applications and/or windows services ?
> > >
> > > If have an object (Task) that instantiates different backgroundworker
> > > instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works
fine.
> > > If
> > > I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but
will
> > > never fire my real object.
> > >
> > > Any help would be nice.
> > >
> >
> > The BackgroundWorker cannot be used from windows services, it is
designed
> > to be used in combination with a UI thread, that is a thread that has a
> > message queue, windows services don't have a UI thread or a thread that
> > pumps the message queue.
> >
> > Willy.
> >
> >
> >

Michel,

If you are looking for the exact same functionality, stop looking, Windows
Services should not have UI threads, so there is no need to "Post" messages
to the UI thread's message loop.
However, if you are looking for a way to run a short running function on a
separate thread, you'll have to look at the ThreadPool class, for functions
that run for a long period (say > 2-5 seconds) you better use the Thread
class.

Willy.

"Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:EFDE5223-06E8-4D5B-96F3-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Willy,
>
> Thanks for your answer. It's not documented however. Do you know if
> there's
> a simple way to achieve the same functionality in a windows service ?
>
> Michel
>
>
> "Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
>
>>
>> "Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:F7202F0E-FEBA-4FEB-8662-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms
>> > applications,
>> > and not in console applications and/or windows services ?
>> >
>> > If have an object (Task) that instantiates different backgroundworker
>> > instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works
>> > fine.
>> > If
>> > I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but
>> > will
>> > never fire my real object.
>> >
>> > Any help would be nice.
>> >
>>
>> The BackgroundWorker cannot be used from windows services, it is
>> designed
>> to be used in combination with a UI thread, that is a thread that has a
>> message queue, windows services don't have a UI thread or a thread that
>> pumps the message queue.
>>
>> Willy.
>>
>>
>>

Thanks for your answer. I wasn't aware of the fact that the backgroundworker
was only ment for UI purposes. In my case, I only need to start processes for
a short time at a scheduled moment. So I am going to implement the Thread
class like I did in the past. It would have been very nice if there was some
backgroundworker functionality for non-ui purposes. Saves me some development
time.

Regards,
Michel

"Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:

> Michel,
>
> If you are looking for the exact same functionality, stop looking, Windows
> Services should not have UI threads, so there is no need to "Post" messages
> to the UI thread's message loop.
> However, if you are looking for a way to run a short running function on a
> separate thread, you'll have to look at the ThreadPool class, for functions
> that run for a long period (say > 2-5 seconds) you better use the Thread
> class.
>
> Willy.
>
> "Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:EFDE5223-06E8-4D5B-96F3-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Willy,
> >
> > Thanks for your answer. It's not documented however. Do you know if
> > there's
> > a simple way to achieve the same functionality in a windows service ?
> >
> > Michel
> >
> >
> > "Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:F7202F0E-FEBA-4FEB-8662-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> > Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms
> >> > applications,
> >> > and not in console applications and/or windows services ?
> >> >
> >> > If have an object (Task) that instantiates different backgroundworker
> >> > instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works
> >> > fine.
> >> > If
> >> > I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but
> >> > will
> >> > never fire my real object.
> >> >
> >> > Any help would be nice.
> >> >
> >>
> >> The BackgroundWorker cannot be used from windows services, it is
> >> designed
> >> to be used in combination with a UI thread, that is a thread that has a
> >> message queue, windows services don't have a UI thread or a thread that
> >> pumps the message queue.
> >>
> >> Willy.
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

It works fine in a console or service app with no forms. The delegates are
run on thread pool threads instead of the UI thread. So there is nothing
special going on, just delegates, BeginInvoke, and events. Try it yourself.

--
William Stacey [MVP]

"Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:2BA92078-DE78-4E14-A273-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for your answer. I wasn't aware of the fact that the
> backgroundworker
> was only ment for UI purposes. In my case, I only need to start processes
> for
> a short time at a scheduled moment. So I am going to implement the Thread
> class like I did in the past. It would have been very nice if there was
> some
> backgroundworker functionality for non-ui purposes. Saves me some
> development
> time.
>
> Regards,
> Michel
>
> "Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
>
>> Michel,
>>
>> If you are looking for the exact same functionality, stop looking,
>> Windows
>> Services should not have UI threads, so there is no need to "Post"
>> messages
>> to the UI thread's message loop.
>> However, if you are looking for a way to run a short running function on
>> a
>> separate thread, you'll have to look at the ThreadPool class, for
>> functions
>> that run for a long period (say > 2-5 seconds) you better use the Thread
>> class.
>>
>> Willy.
>>
>> "Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:EFDE5223-06E8-4D5B-96F3-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Willy,
>> >
>> > Thanks for your answer. It's not documented however. Do you know if
>> > there's
>> > a simple way to achieve the same functionality in a windows service ?
>> >
>> > Michel
>> >
>> >
>> > "Willy Denoyette [MVP]" wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> "Michel Meex" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> >> news:F7202F0E-FEBA-4FEB-8662-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >> > Is it true that a backgroundworker will only work in winforms
>> >> > applications,
>> >> > and not in console applications and/or windows services ?
>> >> >
>> >> > If have an object (Task) that instantiates different
>> >> > backgroundworker
>> >> > instances. If I start the task object from a windows form, it works
>> >> > fine.
>> >> > If
>> >> > I do this from a windows service, it will start the Task object, but
>> >> > will
>> >> > never fire my real object.
>> >> >
>> >> > Any help would be nice.
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> The BackgroundWorker cannot be used from windows services, it is
>> >> designed
>> >> to be used in combination with a UI thread, that is a thread that has
>> >> a
>> >> message queue, windows services don't have a UI thread or a thread
>> >> that
>> >> pumps the message queue.
>> >>
>> >> Willy.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>