animated gif

[Heike]

I want to show an animated gif if some execution is done instead of setting the cursor to "WaitCursor". At the time I would set my cursor I openl a form which contains an animated gif. But the gif is only animated after my execution finished. What's wrong?

[UCM]

You would need to play the gif just before the execution begins...

 

Using the mouse events would be most helpful...

 

in VB, the mouse events are executed in sequence:

Mouse_Down()

Mouse_Up()

Click()

DoubleClick()

 

This will work best if you put it in the _MouseUp event...

 

Take a button for instance...

NOTE: In this example, I would put my code that I want to execute in the button1_click() event...

Private Sub button1_MouseUp(blah)
 'Play Gif Code Here...
End Sub

Private Sub button1_Click(blah)
 'Put Work Code Here...
End Sub

 

Now when the user presses down AND THEN releases the mouse on button1, the gif will start playing while the code executes...

[Heike]

Unfortunately it makes no difference....

 

This is how I do it, maybe you can see an error.

 

If Not objWordInstance Is Nothing Then
   frmGif = New frmIBS_Beschaeftigt() 
   frmGif.AnimateImage()
  [...]
  .FillDocVariables(...)
   frmGif.Close()
   frmGif = Nothing
End If

 

where frmGif is my form with the animated gif and .FillDocVariables is the sub whose execution should be shown by that gif.

[UCM]

ok, your code snippit is the code used to open the gif...

 

What is the general idea of what your application does when it goes into a long process where you would need the waiting gif?

 

What event is this code in?

 

It looks like you are going to fill a table with data...

 

The gif doesn't play until after the data is filed? or is it something else?

Edited January 20, 2003 by UCM

[Heike]

The code snippit is only one example. I want to use my animated gif at several places.

 

I am developing an AddIn for Word(2000).

 

The snippit I copied here is used to parse to one document to search for DocVariables in it. To each of this DocVariable I have an entry in my CustomDocumentProperties containing a SQL-statement. I must execute that SQL-statement and the value I get becomes the value of the DocVariable.

 

Yes, when all my DocVariables are filled (which means the execution of that function is finished), my gif starts to play. But I want it to be parallel. I think the only way may be to do that by using several threads???

[divil]

You are probably right. If the function is executing lots of things in a loop, you might be able to get away with sticking an Application.DoEvents() in the loop. Otherwise, you'll probably have to execute that function in a new thread.

[Heike]

Even if using threads it seems to be more difficult than I thought.

 

It seems to work... My function fills my DocVariables and during that I see my animated gif and it is(!) animated. But: how can I tell that form when to close?

 

Maybe you can have one look at my code and give me a hint?!

 

I created a new class:

Public Class IBSThread
   Public objQueryParameters As ArrayList
   Public Doc As Word.Document
   Public mobjProperties As DocProperties
   Public blnPushed As Boolean
   Public IBSWord As New comIBS_Word()
   Public Event Done()

   Public Sub Sub1()
       IBSWord.FillDocVariables(Doc, mobjProperties, objQueryParameters, Not blnPushed)
       RaiseEvent Done()
   End Sub
End Class

 

And this is the "main" program (frmGif is declared modally)

With objConnect.objIBS_Word
   .ResetDocVariables(...)
   .ParameterZufuegen = False 
   .DokumentVariablen = mobjProperties
   If Not objWordInstance Is Nothing Then
       Dim myThread As Threading.Thread
       .IstVorschau = True
       objQueryParameters = New ArrayList()
       objQueryParameters.Clear()
       objQueryParameters.Add(objIBS_INIT.ibsKrankenhausNr)
       objQueryParameters.Add(objIBS_INIT.ibsAbteilung)
       objQueryParameters.Add(objIBS_INIT.ibsVorlage)

       clsThread = New IBSThread()
       clsThread.blnPushed = Me.tlbButtonVorNach.Pushed
       clsThread.Doc = CType(objWordInstance.ActiveDocument, Word.Document)
       clsThread.mobjProperties = mobjProperties
       clsThread.objQueryParameters = objQueryParameters
       clsThread.IBSWord = objConnect.objIBS_Word

       myThread = New Threading.Thread(AddressOf clsThread.Sub1)
       myThread.Name = "IBS Thread"
       myThread.Start()

       frmGif = New frmIBS_Beschaeftigt() 
       frmGif.ShowDialog()
   End if
End with

 

Here's the handling of the event

Private Sub clsThread_Done() Handles clsThread.Done
   frmGif.Close()
      
   ChangeSize(False)
End Sub

 

But my form is not being closed! Why?