How to make a SplashScreen in C# WindowsFormsApplication

Question

I was wondering how to make a SplashScreen in C#. I looked around StackOverflow but found nothing useful, can you help me please? I already have 1 form filled with stuff, I just need some simple instructions on how to:

• Make a new form appear before my main form
• Make the SplashScreen disappear and the main form appear after a few seconds (maybe three)

I don't need an animated splashscreen.
Thanks in advance!

Just ask if you need any code samples from me :)

Answer 1

Here is an example of a splashscreen - I have used in one of my projects - that uses multithreading:

namespace  WindowsForm1
{
    public enum SplashTypeOfMessage
    {   Success,    
        Warning,
        Error       
    }

    public partial class SplashForm : Form
    {
        static SplashForm _splashForm = null;
        static Thread _splashThread = null;
        public static object locker = new object(); 
        public  static bool WaitPlease = true;  

        private  SplashForm()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            lblLoading.Text = "Please wait Loading";
        }

        public static  void ShowSplashScreen()
        {            
            if (_splashForm != null)
                return;
            _splashThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(SplashForm.ShowSplash));
            _splashThread.IsBackground = true; 
            _splashThread.SetApartmentState(ApartmentState.STA) ; 
            _splashThread.Start();
        }

        public static void ShowSplash()
        {
            if (_splashForm==null)
            {                
                _splashForm = new SplashForm();
                _splashForm.blueLoaderBar1.StartAnimation();

            }
              _splashForm.TopMost = true;
              _splashForm.Show();
              lock (SplashForm.locker)
              {
                  WaitPlease = false;
              }

            Application.Run(_splashForm);

        }

        delegate void CloseSplashHandler(SplashTypeOfMessage typeOfMessage, string message,bool itWasRinvoked);

        public static void CloseSplash(SplashTypeOfMessage typeOfMessage,string message,bool itWasrinvoked)
        {                             
            CloseSplashHandler closeSpalshHandler = new CloseSplashHandler(CloseSplash);
            bool launched=false;
            while (!launched && !itWasrinvoked)
            {
                lock (SplashForm.locker)
                {
                    if (!SplashForm.WaitPlease)
                    {
                        launched = true;
                    }
                }
             }

            if (_splashForm!=null && _splashThread!=null )
            {
                if (_splashForm.InvokeRequired)
                {
                    _splashForm.Invoke(closeSpalshHandler,new object[] {typeOfMessage,message,true});
                }
                else
                {                    
                    switch (typeOfMessage)
                    {
                        case SplashTypeOfMessage.Warning:
                            break;
                        case SplashTypeOfMessage.Error:
                            MessageBox.Show("Error");                                                  
                            break;
                        default:
                            break;
                    }
                    _splashForm.Close();
                    _splashThread = null;

                }                                
            }
        }             
    }
}

Here is how you can call it:

SplashForm.ShowSplashScreen();

This is how you can close the splash screen:

SplashForm.CloseSplash(typeOfMessage ,string.Empty,false);