Wrapping a Chilkat Synchronous Method in C# async/await
Chilkat provides its own Async functions, separate from C#’s async/await.
For each synchronous Chilkat function that may take time due to network communication or other factors, an Async version is also available, returning a Chilkat Task object (distinct from C#’s Task object).
Chilkat’s Async functionality exists in all of the programming languages: C++, PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python, VB6, VBScript, DataFlex, FoxPro, Delphi, Java, PowerBuilder, Go, etc.
The main purpose of Chilkat’s Async functionality is to enable running a function in a background thread, allowing the program to continue other tasks. You can then check back periodically to see when the function completes and retrieve its result. This is useful for programming languages that lack background threading or asynchronous capabilities.
In a language like C#, Chilkat’s Async functionality may seem unnecessary or awkward. Its presence in C# doesn’t imply it should be used, as Chilkat’s API is standardized across languages, and in some, certain methods may appear redundant.
With that being said, in C# it is generally better to wrap Chilkat synchronous methods in async/await. Here’s a general formula:
// The synchronous long-running function
static string LongRunningOperation()
{
Console.WriteLine("Long-running operation started...");
// Simulate a long operation
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(5000); // 5 seconds
Console.WriteLine("Long-running operation finished.");
return "Success.";
}
// The async wrapper method
static async Task<string> RunLongRunningOperationAsync()
{
return await Task.Run(() => LongRunningOperation());
}
static async Task Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine("Starting long-running operation...");
// Call the asynchronous wrapper
string result = await RunLongRunningOperationAsync();
Console.WriteLine("Long-running operation completed.");
Console.WriteLine($"Result: {result}");
}
For example, to call a synchronous Chilkat HTTP function wrapped in async/await:
// The synchronous long-running function
static string LongRunningOperation()
{
Console.WriteLine("Long-running operation started...");
Chilkat.Http http = new Chilkat.Http();
string html = http.QuickGetStr("https://www.chilkatsoft.com/helloWorld.html");
Console.WriteLine("Long-running operation finished.");
return html;
}
// The async wrapper method
static async Task<string> RunLongRunningOperationAsync()
{
return await Task.Run(() => LongRunningOperation());
}
static async Task Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine("Starting long-running operation...");
// Call the asynchronous wrapper
string result = await RunLongRunningOperationAsync();
Console.WriteLine("Long-running operation completed.");
Console.WriteLine($"Result: {result}");
}