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Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) is a popular programming language that is easy to learn for beginners. One advanced concept in VB.NET is the BackgroundWorker, which allows a program to perform time-consuming tasks in the background without freezing or becoming unresponsive. In this article, we will explain how to use the BackgroundWorker in a VB.NET program.

The first step in using a BackgroundWorker is to add it to your program. You can do this by dragging and dropping a BackgroundWorker from the Toolbox onto your form. Once you have added the BackgroundWorker to your program, you can customize its properties and events.

The properties of a BackgroundWorker include things like the WorkerReportsProgress and WorkerSupportsCancellation. The WorkerReportsProgress property allows the BackgroundWorker to report the progress of the task it is performing. The WorkerSupportsCancellation property allows the user to cancel the task being performed by the BackgroundWorker.

The events of a BackgroundWorker include things like the DoWork, ProgressChanged, and RunWorkerCompleted. The DoWork event is where you will put the code for the task that the BackgroundWorker will perform. The ProgressChanged event is where you will put the code that will update the progress of the task. The RunWorkerCompleted event is where you will put the code that will run when the task is completed.

Once you have customized the properties and events of the BackgroundWorker, you can start it by calling the RunWorkerAsync() method. This will start the task that the BackgroundWorker is performing.

While the BackgroundWorker is running, you can use the ReportProgress method to update the progress of the task and the CancelAsync method to cancel the task if needed. You can also check the CancellationPending property to see if the task has been canceled.

It is important to note that when using a BackgroundWorker, the task that it performs should be a long-running task that takes a significant amount of time to complete. If the task is a short-running task, it is better to perform it in the main thread, rather than using a BackgroundWorker.

In conclusion, the BackgroundWorker is a powerful feature of VB.NET that allows a program to perform time-consuming tasks in the background without freezing or becoming unresponsive. It allows you to report progress and provides the ability to cancel a task while it is running. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily add a BackgroundWorker to your VB.NET program and start utilizing its benefits. However, it is important to remember that it should only be used for long-running tasks and not for short-running tasks.

VisualBasic.NET for Beginners – Chapter 48 : Using BackgroundWorker

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