How to run a timer in C# only once?

Question

I want a timer in C# to destroy itself once it has executed. How might I achieve this?

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ExecuteIn(2000, () =>
    {
        MessageBox.Show("fsdfs");   
    });           
}

public static void ExecuteIn(int milliseconds, Action action)
{
    var timer = new System.Windows.Forms.Timer();
    timer.Tick += (s, e) => { action(); };
    timer.Interval = milliseconds;
    timer.Start();

    //timer.Stop();
}

I want this message box to show only once.

jorx · Answer 1 · 2015-11-07T09:41:04.813

33

use the Timer.AutoReset property:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.timers.timer.autoreset(v=vs.110).aspx

i.e:

System.Timers.Timer runonce=new System.Timers.Timer(milliseconds);
runonce.Elapsed+=(s, e) => { action(); };
runonce.AutoReset=false;
runonce.Start();

To stop or dispose the Timer in the Tick method is unstable as far as I am concerned

EDIT: This doesn't work with System.Windows.Forms.Timer

edited Nov 07 '15 at 09:41

answered Nov 07 '15 at 09:32

jorx

481
5
7

For a difference between timers https://stackoverflow.com/a/4532859/1737819 – Developer Marius Žilėnas Mar 25 '19 at 11:37

Matthew DesEnfants · Answer 2 · 2017-06-29T16:55:38.287

17

My favorite technique is to do this...

Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(2000))
    .ContinueWith(task => MessageBox.Show("fsdfs"));

edited Jun 29 '17 at 16:55

answered Jul 27 '16 at 03:37

Matthew DesEnfants

181
3
7

2

this is better than a timer by far. – Don Rolling May 31 '17 at 19:35
1

Use `System.Threading.Tasks.TaskEx` instead of `Task` if you target .NET 4.0 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35041478/await-async-taskex/35041622#35041622 – OneWorld Sep 12 '17 at 09:10

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered May 30 '13 at 05:06

7

Try stopping the timer as soon as it enters Tick:

timer.Tick += (s, e) => 
{ 
  ((System.Windows.Forms.Timer)s).Stop(); //s is the Timer
  action(); 
};

answered May 30 '13 at 05:06

Jens Kloster

11,099
5
40
54

AutoReset is a better solution – Jared Beach Dec 14 '18 at 14:27

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered May 30 '13 at 05:05

0

add

timer.Tick += (s, e) => { timer.Stop() };

after

timer.Tick += (s, e) => { action(); };

answered May 30 '13 at 05:05

mehdi.loa

579
1
5
23

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered May 30 '13 at 05:28

0

Put timer.Dispose() it in the method for Tick before the action (if the action waits on a user's respose i.e. your MessageBox, then the timer will continue until they've responded).

timer.Tick += (s, e) => { timer.Dispose(); action(); };

answered May 30 '13 at 05:28

Griknok

384
2
13

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered May 30 '13 at 06:22

In Intializelayout() write this.

this.timer1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Timer(this.components);
this.timer1.Enabled = true;
this.timer1.Tick += new System.EventHandler(this.timer1_Tick);

and in form code add this method

private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        doaction();
        timer1.Stop();
        timer1.Enabled = false;
    }

How to run a timer in C# only once?

6 Answers6