Loading data from database to combo box using another thread

Question

I want to add items in combo box after getting a column from database table. To achieve performance I have placed this task in a newly created thread

for (int i = 0; i < dataTable.Rows.Count; i++)
{
    comboBox.Items.Add(dataTable.Rows[i][0].ToString());
}

but it gives the following exception:

"Cross thread operation not valid"

I searched for it and tried to solve this problem with the help of different methods, delegates. I tried to pass the whole dataTable to another method but couldn't solve the problem.

Please tell me how do I solve it?

Answer 1

Simply wrap the code in a delegate passed to BeginInvoke:

comboBox.BeginInvoke(
    (Action)(() =>
    {
       for (int i = 0; i < dataTable.Rows.Count; i++)
       {
          comboBox.Items.Add(dataTable.Rows[i][0].ToString());
       }
    }));

This way you are forwarding the updates to the GUI thread, because it's the only thread allowed to make changes on the GUI.