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I have the async code that implements cancellation token. It's working but Im not pretty sure if this is the right way to do it so I just want feedback about it.

Here is the actual code:

/// <summary>
/// 
/// </summary>
private async void SaveData() {

    if (GetActiveServiceRequest() != null)
    {
        var tokenSource = new System.Threading.CancellationTokenSource();


        this.ShowWizardPleaseWait("Saving data...");

        var someTask = System.Threading.Tasks.Task<bool>.Factory.StartNew(() =>
        {

            bool returnVal = false;

            // Set sleep of 7 seconds to test the 5 seconds timeout.
            System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(7000);

            if (!tokenSource.IsCancellationRequested)
            {
                // if not cancelled then save data

                App.Data.EmployeeWCF ws = new App.Data.EmployeeWCF ();
                returnVal = ws.UpdateData(_employee.Data);
                ws.Dispose();
            }

            return returnVal;

        }, tokenSource.Token);


        if (await System.Threading.Tasks.Task.WhenAny(someTask, System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Delay(5000)) == someTask)
        {
            // Completed
            this.HideWizardPleaseWait();
            if (someTask.Result)
            {
                this.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK;
            }
            else
            {
                this.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Abort;
            }
            btnOK.Enabled = true;
            this.Close();
        }
        else
        {
            tokenSource.Cancel();

            // Timeout logic
            this.HideWizardPleaseWait();
            MessageBox.Show("Timeout. Please try again.")
        }


    }
}

Does async / await / cancellation code is well implemented?

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1 Answer 1

4
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It's better to use CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan) constructor to set the cancellation after 5 seconds.

Also, Task.Run method is a recommended way to run compute-bound tasks (see remark here).

Other issues worth noting:

  • by conventions asynchronous methods should have a suffix Async
  • using keyword is a recommended way to correctly dispose IDisposable objects
  • if a task to be cancelled cannot return correct results (according to business requirements) it's recommended to throw OperationCanceledException by calling token.ThrowIfCancellationRequested() method.

    private async void SaveDataAsync() 
    {
        if (GetActiveServiceRequest() == null)
            return;
    
        var cancellationToken = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)).Token;
        this.ShowWizardPleaseWait("Saving data...");
    
        var someTask = Task.Run<bool>(() =>
        {
            // Set sleep of 7 seconds to test the 5 seconds timeout.
            System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(7000);
    
            cancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
    
            // if not cancelled then save data
            using (App.Data.EmployeeWCF ws = new App.Data.EmployeeWCF())
            {
                return ws.UpdateData(_employee.Data);
            }
        }, cancellationToken);
    
        try
        {
            this.DialogResult = await someTask
                ? DialogResult.OK
                : DialogResult.Abort;
    
            btnOK.Enabled = true;
            this.Close();
        }
        catch(OperationCanceledException)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("Timeout. Please try again.")
        }
        finally
        {
            this.HideWizardPleaseWait();
        }
    }
    
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1
  • \$\begingroup\$ I had been pulling my hair out using the Task.Delay() method in the question where tasks would RunToCompletion regardless of a call to CancellationTokenSource.Cancel(). Refactored my Task manager to use this method and it all just works. Thanks. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 8, 2014 at 9:16

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