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How to make my SWT application responsive during loading a lot of data [message #987271]

Sun, 25 November 2012 13:45

Ondřej Kála

Messages: 7
Registered: November 2012

Junior Member

Hi,
I need my application to load some data and then proceed to next window. During loading time, I want to show some loading animation (GIF image?) and give the user option to minimize or move the application window. How do I do that correctly? I tried starting and joining threads, using Display.asyncExec or Display.syncExec but nothing worked. Thanks for help.

[Updated on: Sun, 25 November 2012 14:57]

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Re: How to make my SWT application responsive during loading a lot of data [message #987277 is a reply to message #987271]

Sun, 25 November 2012 15:56

Christoph Keimel

Messages: 482
Registered: December 2010
Location: Germany

Senior Member

You can use the Thread class:

Runnable myRunnable = new Runnable() {
	public void run() {
		... use Display.a/syncExec inside this Thread to change the UI ...
	}
}
new Thread(myRunnable).start()

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Re: How to make my SWT application responsive during loading a lot of data [message #987278 is a reply to message #987277]

Sun, 25 November 2012 16:06

Ondřej Kála

Messages: 7
Registered: November 2012

Junior Member

Christoph Keimel wrote on Sun, 25 November 2012 10:56

You can use the Thread class:

Runnable myRunnable = new Runnable() {
	public void run() {
		... use Display.a/syncExec inside this Thread to change the UI ...
	}
}
new Thread(myRunnable).start()

I dont want to change the UI until loading is over, I want it to not freeze during it.

Currently I create a thread that does the loading, is that wrong?

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Re: How to make my SWT application responsive during loading a lot of data [message #987280 is a reply to message #987278]

Sun, 25 November 2012 16:41

Christoph Keimel

Messages: 482
Registered: December 2010
Location: Germany

Senior Member

Why does the following pattern not work for you?

Runnable myRunnable = new Runnable() {
	public void run() {
		... do the loading ...
		... use Display.a/syncExec to change the UI ...
	}
}
new Thread(myRunnable).start()

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Re: How to make my SWT application responsive during loading a lot of data [message #987282 is a reply to message #987280]

Sun, 25 November 2012 17:17

Ondřej Kála

Messages: 7
Registered: November 2012

Junior Member

Christoph Keimel wrote on Sun, 25 November 2012 11:41

Why does the following pattern not work for you?

Runnable myRunnable = new Runnable() {
	public void run() {
		... do the loading ...
		... use Display.a/syncExec to change the UI ...
	}
}
new Thread(myRunnable).start()

What do you mean by "change the UI"? Showing the animation? I can do that, my main problem is that I want the UI window to react to mouse actions (move/resize/minimize) instead of being frozen.

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