Delphi throbber

Question

What is the best solution to show that the application is doing something?

I tried showing a progress indicator, but it did not work.

UPDATE: -------------

A progress bar works fine, but isn't what I want.

I want to show a throbber, like what Web browsers use, so as long as something is being updated it keeps turning.

Cursor can also be in crHourGlass mode.

Answer 1

Try this:

AnimateUnit

unit AnimateUnit;

interface

uses
  Windows, Classes;

type
  TFrameProc = procedure(const theFrame: ShortInt) of object;

  TFrameThread = class(TThread)
  private
    { Private declarations }
    FFrameProc: TFrameProc;
    FFrameValue: ShortInt;
    procedure SynchedFrame();
  protected
    { Protected declarations }
    procedure Frame(const theFrame: ShortInt); virtual;
  public
    { Public declarations }
    constructor Create(theFrameProc: TFrameProc; CreateSuspended: Boolean = False); reintroduce; virtual;
  end;

  TAnimateThread = class(TFrameThread)
  private
    { Private declarations }
  protected
    { Protected declarations }
    procedure Execute(); override;
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;

var
  AnimateThread: TAnimateThread;

implementation

{ TFrameThread }
constructor TFrameThread.Create(theFrameProc: TFrameProc; CreateSuspended: Boolean = False);
begin
  inherited Create(CreateSuspended);
  FreeOnTerminate := True;
  FFrameProc := theFrameProc;
end;

procedure TFrameThread.SynchedFrame();
begin
  if Assigned(FFrameProc) then FFrameProc(FFrameValue);
end;

procedure TFrameThread.Frame(const theFrame: ShortInt);
begin
  FFrameValue := theFrame;
  try
    Sleep(0);
  finally
    Synchronize(SynchedFrame);
  end;
end;

{ TAnimateThread }
procedure TAnimateThread.Execute();
var
  I: ShortInt;
begin
  while (not Self.Terminated) do
  begin
    Frame(0);
    for I := 1 to 8 do
    begin
      if (not Self.Terminated) then
      begin
        Sleep(120);
        Frame(I);
      end;
    end;
    Frame(0);
  end;
end;

end.

Unit1

unit Unit1;

interface

uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
  Dialogs, StdCtrls, ExtCtrls, ImgList;

type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    ImageList1: TImageList;
    Image1: TImage;
    Button1: TButton;
    Button2: TButton;
    procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
    procedure Button2Click(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
  public
    { Public declarations }
    procedure UpdateFrame(const theFrame: ShortInt);
  end;

var
  Form1: TForm1;

implementation

uses
  AnimateUnit;

{$R *.DFM}
procedure TForm1.UpdateFrame(const theFrame: ShortInt);
begin
  Image1.Picture.Bitmap.Handle := 0;
  try
    ImageList1.GetBitmap(theFrame, Image1.Picture.Bitmap);
  finally
    Image1.Update();
  end;
end;

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  AnimateThread := TAnimateThread.Create(UpdateFrame);
end;

procedure TForm1.Button2Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
  AnimateThread.Terminate();
end;

end.

The Images

Answer 2

You are probably running your time consuming task in the main thread.

One option is to move it to a background thread which will allow your message queue to be serviced. You need it to be serviced in order for your progress bar, and indeed any UI, to work.