Console.ReadLine blocks the current thread from being aborted until the line has been read. (As per comment from Timwi)
To work around this, you would have to use the Console.KeyAvailable method here: How to add a Timeout to Console.ReadLine()?
I re-wrote the problem before realising my mistake, and now here's a solution.
It's rather more involved than I wanted it to be. (Using the KeyAvailable means I need to queue up the keys entered, and to support backspace I have to remove the items. I also need to sleep while no keys are available... )
private static AutoResetEvent answered = new AutoResetEvent(false);
private static Func<string, bool> questionCorrect = null;
private static bool? correct;
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int score = 0;
AskQuestion(ref score,
"What is 15 / 3?",
TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5),
answer =>
{
decimal value;
if (!decimal.TryParse(answer, out value))
{
Console.WriteLine(
"That was not a valid number");
return false;
}
return (value == 15/3);
});
AskQuestion(ref score,
"What is 20 * 2 ?",
TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5),
answer =>
{
decimal value;
if (
!decimal.TryParse(answer,
out value))
{
Console.WriteLine(
"That was not a valid number");
return false;
}
return (value == 20*2);
});
Console.WriteLine("Done. Score: {0}", score);
Console.ReadLine();
}
private static void AskQuestion(ref int score, string question, TimeSpan duration, Func<string, bool> validator)
{
// Setup
questionCorrect = validator;
correct = null;
answered.Reset();
// Ask
Console.WriteLine(question);
Thread thread = new Thread(GetQuestion);
thread.Start();
// Wait
answered.WaitOne(duration);
thread.Abort();
thread.Join();
Console.WriteLine(); // Write empty line, otherwise this overwrites the answer.
// Validate);
if (correct.HasValue && correct.Value == true)
{
score++;
Console.WriteLine("Correct");
}
else if (correct.HasValue)
{
Console.WriteLine("Incorrect");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("Timeout");
}
}
private static void GetQuestion()
{
try
{
List<char> captured = new List<char>();
bool answerCaptured = false;
while (!answerCaptured)
{
while (Console.KeyAvailable)
{
var key = Console.ReadKey();
if (key.KeyChar == '\r' || key.KeyChar == '\n')
{
answerCaptured = true;
break;
}
if (key.KeyChar == '\b' && captured.Count > 0)
{
captured.RemoveAt(captured.Count - 1);
}
else
{
captured.Add(key.KeyChar);
}
}
Thread.Sleep(50);
}
string answer = new string(captured.ToArray());
correct = questionCorrect.Invoke(answer);
answered.Set();
}
catch (ThreadAbortException)
{
// will be thrown when the thread times out.
}
}
