Stop button doesnt stop a function (using PostMessage)

I'm trying to make a function that will scan through the files that are in a directory of the users choice to search for a certain file. However, the stop button I tried to make doesn't actually work. It's not even possible to do anything while it's searching, including closing the program. I'm using PostMessage() to go through the process one file at a time, hoping that after each file the user could have the option to stop it. Unlike having SendMessage where the user definitely cannot do anything until it's finished. Is there a different route to take so I can stop it in mid search?

Here is what I think is causing the problem.

Code:

        //update what the user sees
        SendMessage(hStatus, SB_SETTEXT, 0, (LPARAM)"Scanning..");

        //update percentage
        percent = 100*(sofar/total); //get the total percent

        itoa(percent,Percent,10);   //change the integer percent to string

        strcat(Percent,"%"); //add percent sign to percentage

        char OverAll[MAX_PATH] = "Progress: "; //reset the overall progress

        strcat(OverAll,Percent); //set overall percentage

        SendMessage(hStatus, SB_SETTEXT, 1, (LPARAM)OverAll); //display overall percentage

        PostMessage(Hwnd,WM_COMMAND,SCAN,0); //repeat the process

EDIT: just tried using Sleep(500) and it still has the same problem. I clicked the stop button really fast hoping I'd catch it, but nothing. I also can't regain focus of the window.

The problem is that you do not do a message pump while executing your code. This, in turn, causes your window to "freeze."
To fix this, the usual approach is to execute your event code in a different thread.
Do you know how threads work or used them?

Honestly I don't know what a thread is, but I have an idea of how they work. I'll get to reading on creating/using them, though.

EDIT: Ok, I got the thread thing working, but it doesn't repeat the function like I want it to. Is there a way to repeat this without using PostMessage and using threads that I'm not aware of?

EDIT 2: I got it working the way I'd like now, but want to know if this is a proper way to do it. My code goes something like this...

Code:

_beginthread(&Search,0,NULL);

//goes down to the Search thread

void Search(void* pArgv){
     while(something == true){
          //does a bunch of stuff...
     }
     _endthread();
}

Don't call _endthread. The thread will automatically termine when the function is done.
Assuming you are using raw Win32, your main thread should always be doing a message pump. In your WindowProc, spawn a new thread for each of your event handlers. This way the GUI will be able to respond to your input, such as clicking the Stop button.
The general approach now, is to use a flag which you set if you want to stop the process. The file searching code can reguarly check this flag and stop searching if set.

>> I'm using PostMessage() to go through the process one file at a time, hoping that after each file the user could have the option to stop it.
I don't see anything wrong with this approach. Multi-threading is viable solution, but with it's own set of challenges (specially if you're just learning it).

It does sound as if you were "blocking" your message pump from running as Elysia mentioned. Are you sure you're only processing one file at time per each WM_COMMAND/SCAN message? The trick here is to only do a small amount of work when you receive the SCAN message and then return from the message handler so the message pump can process button clicks, focus events, ect... The more time you spend handling the SCAN message, the less responsive your app will "feel".

gg

Elysia-
I don't understand what you mean by making a new thread for each event handle. Right now it's just one thread, one function (or process the thread calls), and one global variable.

CodePlug-
The PostMessage was stopping the program from basically getting any other message cause it would post the SCAN message so quickly. The SCAN message only does the _beginthread() function, and nothing else. I don't it gets any simpler than that.

Originally Posted by scwizzo

Elysia-
I don't understand what you mean by making a new thread for each event handle. Right now it's just one thread, one function (or process the thread calls), and one global variable.

I mean for every button click or anything else, really, that executes a lot of code should run in its own thread so that your main app can continue to respond to messages and do a message pump.
Otherwise your GUI will freeze because it's not responding to messages.

Well, I tried it myself - and I was wrong. PostMessage() can not be used in this way. Even though the message loop is running - it starves other messages from being processed - essentially making your message loop an infinite one.

SetTimer() can be used in this fashion, since WM_TIMER is the very last message to be processed by GetMessage(). Using a timeout of 0 will cause WM_TIMER to come in immediately - and the message loop won't ignore other messages as they come in.

Of course this method doesn't apply in all cases - and threading is bit more straight forward for doing something "in the background" while keeping your UI responsive.

Code:

#include <windows.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

#define DO_WORK_ID 42

LRESULT CALLBACK WinProc(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);

int main()
{
    const char *className = "WindowsApp";

    WNDCLASSA wincl = {0};
    wincl.hInstance = GetModuleHandle(0);
    wincl.lpszClassName = className;
    wincl.lpfnWndProc = WinProc;
    wincl.style = CS_DBLCLKS;    
    wincl.hIcon = LoadIcon(0, IDI_APPLICATION);
    wincl.hCursor = LoadCursor(0, IDC_ARROW);
    wincl.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)COLOR_BACKGROUND;

    if (!RegisterClassA(&wincl))
        return 1;

    HWND hwndParent;
    hwndParent = CreateWindowA(className, "Windows App", 
                               WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW | WS_VISIBLE,
                               CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT,
                               200, 100, HWND_DESKTOP, 0, 
                               GetModuleHandle(0), 0);
    if (!hwndParent)
        return 1;

    HWND hwndChild;
    hwndChild = CreateWindowA("Button", "Button", WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE,
                              10, 10,  170, 50,
                              hwndParent, (HMENU)BUTTON_ID, 
                              GetModuleHandle(0), 0);
    if (!hwndChild)
        return 1;

    MSG msg;
    BOOL bRet;
    for (;;)
    {
        bRet = GetMessage(&msg, hwndParent, 0, 0);
        if ((bRet == 0) || (bRet == -1))
            break;

        if (msg.message == WM_TIMER)
            cout << "msg = WM_TIMER" << endl;
        else
            cout << "msg = " << msg.message << endl;

        TranslateMessage(&msg);
        DispatchMessage(&msg);
    }//while

    return (int)msg.wParam;
}//main


LRESULT CALLBACK WinProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, 
                         WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    static int counter = 0;
    static bool bRun = false;

    switch(msg)
    {
        case WM_DESTROY:
        {
            PostQuitMessage(0);
            return 0;
        }//case
            
        case WM_COMMAND:
        {
            if (wParam == BUTTON_ID)
            {
                bRun = !bRun;
                if (bRun)
                {
                    cout << "bRun = true" << endl;
                    SetTimer(hwnd, DO_WORK_ID, 0, 0);
                }//if
                else
                {
                    cout << "bRun = false" << endl;
                    KillTimer(hwnd, DO_WORK_ID);
                }//else

                return 0;
            }//if
        }//case

        case WM_TIMER:
        {
            cout << "Do Work: " << ++counter << endl;
            return 0;
        }//case
    }//switch

    return DefWindowProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
}//WinProc

gg