Updating UI in C# using Timer

This is the second time I provide a WPF solution for a winforms problem.

Just copy and paste my code in a file -> new project -> WPF Application and see the results for yourself.

Also take a look at how simple this code really is (I’m using random values, so you can remove that and adapt it to your needs).

The drawing I used (the <Path/> part in XAML) is not adequate for a Gauge. I just had that Path already drawn and I’m too lazy to create a new one. You should create a new drawing (I recommend using Expression Blend). But you can see the Rotation being applied and how fast it works.

using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Windows;
using System.ComponentModel;

namespace WpfApplication4
{
    public partial class Window2
    {
        public Window2()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            DataContext = new ViewModel();
        }
    }

    public class ViewModel: INotifyPropertyChanged
    {
        private double _value;
        public double Value
        {
            get { return _value; }
            set
            {
                _value = value;
                NotifyPropertyChange("Value");
            }
        }

        private int _speed = 100;
        public int Speed
        {
            get { return _speed; }
            set
            {
                _speed = value;
                NotifyPropertyChange("Speed");
                Timer.Change(0, value);
            }
        }

        public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;

        public void NotifyPropertyChange(string propertyName)
        {
            if (PropertyChanged != null)
                PropertyChanged(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
        }

        private System.Threading.Timer Timer;

        public ViewModel()
        {
            Rnd = new Random();
            Timer = new Timer(x => Timer_Tick(), null, 0, Speed);
        }

        private void Timer_Tick()
        {
            Application.Current.Dispatcher.BeginInvoke((Action) (NewValue));
        }

        private Random Rnd;
        private void NewValue()
        {
            Value = Value + (Rnd.Next(20) - 10);
        }
    }
}

XAML:

<Window x:Class="WpfApplication4.Window2"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="Window2" WindowState="Maximized">
    <DockPanel>
        <StackPanel DockPanel.Dock="Top">
            <TextBlock Text="Delay (MS):" Margin="2"/>
            <Slider Width="200" Minimum="100" SmallChange="1" LargeChange="10" Maximum="1500" Value="{Binding Speed}" Margin="2"/>
            <TextBlock Text="Current Value:" Margin="2"/>
            <TextBox Text="{Binding Value}" Margin="2"/>
        </StackPanel>

        <Path Data="M0.95991516,0.5 L73.257382,1.866724 90.763535,1.866724 90.763535,90.822725 66.430534,90.822725 66.430534,26.075016 0.5,24.828653 z" Fill="#FF506077" RenderTransformOrigin="0.861209625003783,0.507482926584064" Stretch="Fill" Stroke="Black">
            <Path.LayoutTransform>
                <TransformGroup>
                    <ScaleTransform ScaleY="1" ScaleX="-1"/>
                    <SkewTransform AngleY="0" AngleX="0"/>
                    <RotateTransform Angle="{Binding Value}" x:Name="Rotation"/>
                    <TranslateTransform/>
                </TransformGroup>
            </Path.LayoutTransform>
        </Path>
    </DockPanel>
</Window>