AsyncWaitHandle Property
.NET Framework Class Library
IAsyncResult..::.AsyncWaitHandle Property

Gets a WaitHandle that is used to wait for an asynchronous operation to complete.

Namespace:  System
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Visual Basic (Declaration)
ReadOnly Property AsyncWaitHandle As WaitHandle
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As IAsyncResult
Dim value As WaitHandle

value = instance.AsyncWaitHandle
C#
WaitHandle AsyncWaitHandle { get; }
Visual C++
property WaitHandle^ AsyncWaitHandle {
    WaitHandle^ get ();
}
JScript
function get AsyncWaitHandle () : WaitHandle

Property Value

Type: System.Threading..::.WaitHandle
A WaitHandle that is used to wait for an asynchronous operation to complete.

The return value allows the client to wait for an asynchronous operation to complete instead of polling IsCompleted until the operation concludes. The return value can be used to perform a WaitOne, WaitAny, or WaitAll operation.

The common language runtime supplies a number of waitable objects, such as ManualResetEvent, AutoResetEvent, and Mutex, all of which mirror Win32 synchronization primitives.

Notes to Implementers:

The object that implements IAsyncResult does not need to create the WaitHandle until the AsyncWaitHandle property is read. It is the choice of the IAsyncResult implementer. However, if the implementer creates AsyncWaitHandle, it is the responsibility of the implementer to signal the WaitHandle that will terminate the wait at the appropriate time. For example, System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging..::.AsyncResult terminates the wait on behalf of the caller when an asynchronously invoked method returns. Once created, AsyncWaitHandle should be kept alive until the user calls the method that concludes the asynchronous operation. At that time the object behind AsyncWaitHandle can be discarded.

Notes to Callers:

Clients that wait for the operation to complete (as opposed to polling) use this property to obtain a synchronization object to wait on.

NoteNote:

When you use the BeginInvoke method of a delegate to call a method asynchronously and obtain a wait handle from the resulting IAsyncResult, we recommend that you close the wait handle as soon as you are finished using it, by calling the WaitHandle..::.Close method. If you simply release all references to the wait handle, system resources are freed when garbage collection reclaims the wait handle, but garbage collection works more efficiently when disposable objects are explicitly closed or disposed. For more information, see the AsyncResult..::.AsyncWaitHandle property.

The following example demonstrates how to use the AsyncWaitHandle property to get a WaitHandle, and how to wait for an asynchronous call on a delegate. The WaitHandle is signaled when the asynchronous call completes, and you can wait for it by calling the WaitOne method.

The example consists of two classes: the class that contains the method that is called asynchronously, and the class that contains the Main method that makes the call.

For more information and more examples of calling methods asynchronously by using delegates, see Calling Synchronous Methods Asynchronously.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices 

Namespace Examples.AdvancedProgramming.AsynchronousOperations
    Public Class AsyncDemo 
        ' The method to be executed asynchronously.
        Public Function TestMethod(ByVal callDuration As Integer, _
                <Out> ByRef threadId As Integer) As String
            Console.WriteLine("Test method begins.")
            Thread.Sleep(callDuration)
            threadId = Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId()
            return String.Format("My call time was {0}.", callDuration.ToString())
        End Function
    End Class

    ' The delegate must have the same signature as the method
    ' it will call asynchronously.
    Public Delegate Function AsyncMethodCaller(ByVal callDuration As Integer, _
        <Out> ByRef threadId As Integer) As String
End Namespace


...


Imports System
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices 

Namespace Examples.AdvancedProgramming.AsynchronousOperations

    Public Class AsyncMain 
        Shared Sub Main() 
            ' The asynchronous method puts the thread id here.
            Dim threadId As Integer

            ' Create an instance of the test class.
            Dim ad As New AsyncDemo()

            ' Create the delegate.
            Dim caller As New AsyncMethodCaller(AddressOf ad.TestMethod)

            ' Initiate the asynchronous call.
            Dim result As IAsyncResult = caller.BeginInvoke(3000, _
                threadId, Nothing, Nothing)

            Thread.Sleep(0)
            Console.WriteLine("Main thread {0} does some work.", _
                Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId)
            ' Perform additional processing here and then
            ' wait for the WaitHandle to be signaled.
            result.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne()

            ' Call EndInvoke to retrieve the results.
            Dim returnValue As String = caller.EndInvoke(threadId, result)

            ' Close the wait handle.
            result.AsyncWaitHandle.Close()

            Console.WriteLine("The call executed on thread {0}, with return value ""{1}"".", _
                threadId, returnValue)
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

'This example produces output similar to the following:
'
'Main thread 1 does some work.
'Test method begins.
'The call executed on thread 3, with return value "My call time was 3000.".

C#
using System;
using System.Threading; 

namespace Examples.AdvancedProgramming.AsynchronousOperations
{
    public class AsyncDemo 
    {
        // The method to be executed asynchronously.
        public string TestMethod(int callDuration, out int threadId) 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Test method begins.");
            Thread.Sleep(callDuration);
            threadId = Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId;
            return String.Format("My call time was {0}.", callDuration.ToString());
        }
    }
    // The delegate must have the same signature as the method
    // it will call asynchronously.
    public delegate string AsyncMethodCaller(int callDuration, out int threadId);
}


...


using System;
using System.Threading;

namespace Examples.AdvancedProgramming.AsynchronousOperations
{
    public class AsyncMain 
    {
        static void Main() 
        {
            // The asynchronous method puts the thread id here.
            int threadId;

            // Create an instance of the test class.
            AsyncDemo ad = new AsyncDemo();

            // Create the delegate.
            AsyncMethodCaller caller = new AsyncMethodCaller(ad.TestMethod);

            // Initiate the asychronous call.
            IAsyncResult result = caller.BeginInvoke(3000, 
                out threadId, null, null);

            Thread.Sleep(0);
            Console.WriteLine("Main thread {0} does some work.",
                Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId);

            // Wait for the WaitHandle to become signaled.
            result.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne();

            // Perform additional processing here.
            // Call EndInvoke to retrieve the results.
            string returnValue = caller.EndInvoke(out threadId, result);

            // Close the wait handle.
            result.AsyncWaitHandle.Close();

            Console.WriteLine("The call executed on thread {0}, with return value \"{1}\".",
                threadId, returnValue);
        }
    }
}

/* This example produces output similar to the following:

Main thread 1 does some work.
Test method begins.
The call executed on thread 3, with return value "My call time was 3000.".
 */

Visual C++
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
using namespace System::Runtime::InteropServices; 

namespace Examples {
namespace AdvancedProgramming {
namespace AsynchronousOperations
{
    public ref class AsyncDemo 
    {
    public:
        // The method to be executed asynchronously.
        String^ TestMethod(int callDuration, [OutAttribute] int% threadId) 
        {
            Console::WriteLine("Test method begins.");
            Thread::Sleep(callDuration);
            threadId = Thread::CurrentThread->ManagedThreadId;
            return String::Format("My call time was {0}.", callDuration);
        }
    };

    // The delegate must have the same signature as the method
    // it will call asynchronously.
    public delegate String^ AsyncMethodCaller(int callDuration, [OutAttribute] int% threadId);
}}}


...


#using <TestMethod.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
using namespace Examples::AdvancedProgramming::AsynchronousOperations;

void main() 
{
    // The asynchronous method puts the thread id here.
    int threadId;

    // Create an instance of the test class.
    AsyncDemo^ ad = gcnew AsyncDemo();

    // Create the delegate.
    AsyncMethodCaller^ caller = gcnew AsyncMethodCaller(ad, &AsyncDemo::TestMethod);

    // Initiate the asychronous call.
    IAsyncResult^ result = caller->BeginInvoke(3000, 
        threadId, nullptr, nullptr);

    Thread::Sleep(0);
    Console::WriteLine("Main thread {0} does some work.",
        Thread::CurrentThread->ManagedThreadId);

    // Wait for the WaitHandle to become signaled.
    result->AsyncWaitHandle->WaitOne();

    // Perform additional processing here.
    // Call EndInvoke to retrieve the results.
    String^ returnValue = caller->EndInvoke(threadId, result);

    // Close the wait handle.
    result->AsyncWaitHandle->Close();

    Console::WriteLine("The call executed on thread {0}, with return value \"{1}\".",
        threadId, returnValue);
}

/* This example produces output similar to the following:

Main thread 1 does some work.
Test method begins.
The call executed on thread 3, with return value "My call time was 3000.".
 */

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Xbox 360, Zune

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0, 1.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.0
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