I'm looking for a common and elegant way to manage interfaces update.
I know that user interface code must be run in main thread, so when i need some computation o network task i use GDC with this pattern:
dispatch_queue_t aQueue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0);
dispatch_async(aQueue, ^() {
//Backgroud code
dispatch_sync(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
//Update the UI
}
}
The problem with this code is that i need always check if user has changed view during my computation, so the code is like:
dispatch_sync(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if (mylabel != nil) && ([mylabel superview] != nil) {
mylabel.text = _result_from_computation_;
}
}
There is some best ways?
Thanks.
You pretty well have it. However, in case you want to do more reading or want a more thorough explanation of what's going on...
You should read the Apple Docs Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) Reference and watch the WWDC 2012 video, Session 712 - Asynchronous Design Patters with Blocks, GCD and XPC.
If you're working with iOS, you can disregard XPC (interprocess communication) as it's not supported by the current OS version (6.1 at the time of this writing).
Example: Load a large image in the background and set the image when completed.
#interface MyClass ()
#property (strong) dispatch_block_t task;
#end
#implementation MyClass
- (void)viewDidLoad {
self.task = ^{
// Background Thread, i.e., your task
NSImage *image = [[NSImage alloc] initWithData:data];
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
// Main Thread, setting the loaded image
[view setImage:image];
});
});
}
- (IBAction)cancelTaskButtonClick:(id)sender { // This can be -viewWillDisappear
self.task = nil; // Cancels this enqueued item in default global queue
}
- (IBAction)runTaskButtonClick:(id)sender {
// Main Thread
dispatch_queue_t queue;
queue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0);
dispatch_async(queue, self.task);
}
In order to cancel and reload the interface later, all you have to do is set the dispatch_block_t variable to nil.
Perhaps more specifically to your problem, this example piece of code deals with Reading Data from a Descriptor, i.e., either the disk or network.
Typically, you would use the Call-Callback pattern which essentially gets a background thread, executes a task, and when completed calls another block to get the main thread to update the UI.
Hope this helps!
You can check the view window property:
if (myLabel.window) {
// update label
}
this is redundant if (label != nil) since if label is nil, then all label properties will also be nil (or zero) and setting them will not raise an exception.
Related
I've seen some related questions but none seem to answer this case. I want to write a method that will do some work in the background. I need this method to call a completion callback on the same thread / queue used for the original method call.
- (void)someMethod:(void (^)(BOOL result))completionHandler {
dispatch_queue_t current_queue = // ???
// some setup code here
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0), ^{
BOOL ok = // some result
// do some long running processing here
dispatch_async(current_queue, ^{
completionHandler(ok);
});
});
What magic incantation is needed here so the completion handler is called on the same queue or thread as the call to sameMethod? I don't want to assume the main thread. And of course dispatch_get_current_queue is not to be used.
If you look through the Apple docs, there appear to be two patterns.
If it is assumed that the completion handler is to be run on the main thread, then no queue needs to be provided. An example would be UIView's animations methods:
+ (void)animateWithDuration:(NSTimeInterval)duration animations:(void (^)(void))animations completion:(void (^)(BOOL finished))completion
Otherwise, the API usually asks the caller to provide a queue:
[foo doSomethingWithCompletion:completion targetQueue:yourQueue];
My suggestion is to follow this pattern. If it is unclear which queue the completion handler should be called, the caller should supply it explicitly as a parameter.
You can't really use queues for this because, aside from the main queue, none of them are guaranteed to be running on any particular thread. Instead, you will have to get the thread and execute your block directly there.
Adapting from Mike Ash's Block Additions:
// The last public superclass of Blocks is NSObject
#implementation NSObject (rmaddy_CompletionHandler)
- (void)rmaddy_callBlockWithBOOL: (NSNumber *)b
{
BOOL ok = [b boolValue];
void (^completionHandler)(BOOL result) = (id)self;
completionHandler(ok);
}
#end
- (void)someMethod:(void (^)(BOOL result))completionHandler {
NSThread * origThread = [NSThread currentThread];
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0), ^{
BOOL ok = // some result
// do some long running processing here
// Check that there was not a nil handler passed.
if( completionHandler ){
// This assumes ARC. If no ARC, copy and autorelease the Block.
[completionHandler performSelector:#selector(rmaddy_callBlockWithBOOL:)
onThread:origThread
withObject:#(ok) // or [NSNumber numberWithBool:ok]
waitUntilDone:NO];
}
});
});
Although you're not using dispatch_async(), this is still asynchronous with respect to the rest of your program, because it's contained within the original dispatched task block, and waitUntilDone:NO also makes it asynchronous with respect to that.
not sure if this will solve the problem, but how about using NSOperations instead of GCD?:
- (void)someMethod:(void (^)(BOOL result))completionHandler {
NSOperationQueue *current_queue = [NSOperationQueue currentQueue];
// some setup code here
NSOperationQueue *q = [[NSOperationQueue alloc] init];
[q addOperationWithBlock:^{
BOOL ok = YES;// some result
// do some long running processing here
[current_queue addOperationWithBlock:^{
completionHandler(ok);
}];
}];
I wanted to do some tasks on some queue and then execute a completion block as #rmaddy mentioned. I came across the Concurrency Programming Guide from Apple and implemented this (with dispatch_retain & dispatch_released commented out because I am using ARC) -- https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/General/Conceptual/ConcurrencyProgrammingGuide/OperationQueues/OperationQueues.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008091-CH102-SW1
void average_async(int *data, size_t len, dispatch_queue_t queue, void (^block)(int))
{
// Retain the queue provided by the user to make
// sure it does not disappear before the completion
// block can be called.
//dispatch_retain(queue); // comment out if use ARC
// Do the work on user-provided queue
dispatch_async(queue, ^{
int avg = average(data, len);
dispatch_async(queue, ^{ block(avg);});
// Release the user-provided queue when done
//dispatch_release(queue); // comment out if use ARC
});
}
I have a use case where i am writing data to local couchebase database in ios. Here it will not support concurrent access of write operation. So i want to run the CRUD operation on main thread and return result after running some algorithm on data on secondary threads. when main thread took over control and executes code, current running thread is not waiting till main thread completes its operation. How can i handover result from main thread to other thread.
Ex :
+(BOOL)createDocument:(NSDictionary*)data withId:(NSString*)docId {
__block CBLDocument* doc = nil;
// NSLog(#"%d count ", [[self database] documentCount]);
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if(docId.length > 0) {
doc = [[self getDatabase] documentWithID:docId];
} else {
doc = [[self getDatabase] createDocument];
}
});
//I want current thread to wait till main thread completes its execution
if(doc){
return YES;
}else{
return NO;
}
}
If you know for a fact that this method is not called from the main queue, you can use dispatch_sync:
+(BOOL)createDocument:(NSDictionary*)data withId:(NSString*)docId {
__block CBLDocument* doc = nil;
dispatch_sync(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if(docId.length > 0) {
doc = [[self getDatabase] documentWithID:docId];
} else {
doc = [[self getDatabase] createDocument];
}
});
//I want current thread to wait till main thread completes its execution
if(doc){
return YES;
}else{
return NO;
}
}
A more generalized approach would be to create a dedicated, custom dispatch queue for your database interaction. Then, any thread (either the main thread or any background thread) that wants to interact with the database would perform a dispatch_sync to that dedicated queue.
This provides a cleaner implementation, making the functional intent more explicit, and ensures that database interaction initiated from a background thread will not block the main thread (unless, of course, the main thread happens to be initiating database interactions with this database queue at the same time). This dedicated queue approach is in the spirit of the "One Queue per Subsystem" design pattern discussed in WWDC 2012 video, Asynchronous Design Patterns with Blocks, GCD, and XPC (it's the fifth design pattern discussed in the latter part of the video).
You can make another dispatch_async call to your "current thread" from the main thread. So you'll use another function block and put your if(doc) stuff into that. That's how chaining between threads are handled with GCD API.
So the problem with your code is, createDocument returning after dispatching to another thread. Instead, you should change createDocument to take a function block argument.
+(BOOL)createDocument:(NSDictionary*)data
withId:(NSString*)docId
onComplete:(void (^)(CBLDocument*))onComplete;
And change your dispatch_async call as follows:
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if(docId.length > 0) {
doc = [[self getDatabase] documentWithID:docId];
} else {
doc = [[self getDatabase] createDocument];
}
dispatch_async(yourCurrentThread, ^{
onComplete(doc);
});
});
However if you really want to BLOCK your current thread, you should use dispatch_sync instead of dispatch_async.
dispatch_sync(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
...
});
return doc != nil;
Sorry if there are any syntax errors, I haven't tested this.
I am a newbie. I am using Grand Central Dispatch to populate an array (student_temp) on another thread. That part is working fine. The problem is I cannot pass the array to a class property (student_Array) where it is used throughout the class. I can't get the array back on the main thread.
it works fine until I get back tot he main thread and I can't pass student_temp into student_Array (the property) either inside or outside of GCD.
What am I doing wrong, or is there a better to populate the array property using GCD?
Thank you for your help. And please try to explain in non-technical language if possible I am new at this.
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
[super viewDidLoad];
R2LFetcher *studentFetch = [[R2LFetcher alloc] init];
__block NSMutableArray *student_temp = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
dispatch_queue_t queue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_HIGH, 0ul);
dispatch_async(queue, ^{
//long-running code goes here…
student_temp = [studentFetch fetchToStudentArray];
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
// code the updates the main thread (UI) here...
student_Array = student_temp;
});
});
student_Array = student_temp;
A couple of reactions:
In the last line of your code, you're setting student_Array to student_temp. Clearly that line makes no sense because you're populating student_temp asynchronously. And you're opening yourself up to synchronization issues if you're trying to simultaneously access the save variable in two queues. Don't bother to assign student_Array to student_temp at the end of viewDidLoad, but rather just do it inside the nested dispatch_async calls.
Inside the block, you're populating and setting student_temp. It probably makes more sense to make that variable scoped within that block, avoiding temptation to access it from outside that block as well as simplifying your code because the __block qualifier is no longer needed.
This block is running asynchronously, so when you update student_Array in the main queue, you might want to update your UI at the same time (e.g. reload the tableview or whatever). Perhaps you're doing that already and just removed it for the sake of brevity, but I just wanted to make sure.
Thus:
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
[super viewDidLoad];
dispatch_queue_t queue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0ul);
dispatch_async(queue, ^{
R2LFetcher *studentFetch = [[R2LFetcher alloc] init];
// long-running code goes here, for example ...
NSMutableArray *student_temp = [studentFetch fetchToStudentArray];
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
student_Array = student_temp;
// code the updates the main thread (UI) here, for example...
[self.tableView reloadData];
});
});
}
You should be able to add objects to student_Array directly from your block. Unlike stack variables, properties and ivars don't get copied when used inside a block. Instead, self gets retained in the block, and the property is referenced through it.
Of course, you need to be aware of concurrency issues, e.g. if you need to access the data from the main thread as well. For that, you probably still want to have this at the end of your async GCD block:
// done populating the data
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
// update the UI
}
I have an IOS project (ARC disabled) which has several view controllers. One particular controller initialises a member object of type MyClass, however when the view controller is dismissed, I'm calling a cleanup method for the object which uses a thread (using dispatch-async) to make some time consuming operations and then when these operations are done im executing a [self release] on the main queue for the object. Is this a good practise, will it cause any errors? Below is a similar example to what im doing:
#implementation ViewController
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
myObj = [[MyClass alloc] init];
}
-(void)viewWillDisappear
{
[myObj cleanup];
}
#end
//myClass
#implementation MyClass
- (void)cleanup()
{
dispatch_queue_t myQueue = dispatch_queue_create ("MyClassDeallocQueue", NULL);
dispatch_async(myQueue, ^{
//time consuming operations
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
[self release];
});
});
}
#end
Is this a good practise, will it cause any errors?
Currently, your code has an unbalanced retain/release. That is definitely an error (over release).
"Is it good practice?" - well, I don't know what you are trying to accomplish. But if your goal is to keep self alive, until after the block is executed, it is already accomplished purely through the fact that self will be captured. So, strictly a release is not needed.
However, if you NOT explicitly release self on the main thread, you introduce a subtle bug: it might happen that the block has the last reference to self, and since it may execute on some arbitrary thread, it will release self on this non-main thread. And this is forbidden: UIKit methods (including dealloc) MUST be called on the main thread!
Thus, it might make sense:
[self retain];
dispatch_async(myQueue, ^{
// time consuming operation, which captures `self`
[self doSomething];
...
// ensure that `dealloc` will be executed on the main thread, if
// last reference is held by the block:
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
[self release];
});
});
or shorter:
dispatch_async(myQueue, ^{
// time consuming operation, which captures `self`
[self doSomething];
...
// ensure that `dealloc` will be executed on the main thread, if
// last reference is held by the block:
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
[self self];
});
});
Edit:
It's an interesting question, whether the "short" version is actually tread-safe or has a race:
Suppose, self will be released in the block executed on myQueue, as the effect of capturing self before it will be retained in the same bock as an effect of capturing self for the block executed on the main queue. Then, we have an issue. Comments appreciated.
This is what I am doing.
dispatch_queue_t queue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_HIGH, 0ul);
dispatch_async(queue, ^{
NSData* data = [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:[NSURL URLWithString:[NSString stringWithFormat:#"http://myurl"]]];
dispatch_sync(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
if(!data) {
// data not recieved or bad data. Initiate reachability test
// I have built a wrapper for Reachability class called ReachabilityController
// ReachabilityController also notifies the user for avaibility, UI
ReachabilityController *reachability = [[ReachabilityController alloc] init];
[reachability checkReachability];
return;
}
//update table
});
});
My problem is the reachability test is being done in the main queue, which often freezes the UI. I want to run in a background mode.
I want to process the ReachabilityTest in a background mode or in a low priority mode. But again, my reachability controller does notify user of the current net avaibility, so at some point i will have to use main queue again.
I strongly believe that there must be a better way.
This is, however, a correct way. It doesn't look entirely pretty, but that doesn't mean it's incorrect. If you want your code to look 'cleaner' you might wanna take a look at NSThread and work your way through it, but this is a far easier approach.
To make it look easier in my project we made a simple class called dispatcher that uses blocks:
+ (void)dispatchOnBackgroundAsync:(void(^)(void))block {
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_HIGH, 0), block);
}
+ (void)dispatchOnMainAsync:(void(^)(void))block {
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), block);
}
used like this:
[Dispatcher dispatchOnBackgroundAsync:^{
// background thread code
[Dispatcher dispatchOnMainAsync:^{
// main thread code
}];
}];