Close a MessageBox after several seconds

Question

I have a Windows Forms application VS2010 C  where I display a MessageBox for show a message    I have an okay button  but if they walk away  I want to timeout and close the message box after lets say 5 seconds  automatically close the message box   There are custom MessageBox  that inherited from Form  or another reporter Forms  but it would be interesting not necessary a Form   Any suggestions or samples about it   Updated    For WPF Automatically close messagebox in C   Custom MessageBox  using Form inherit  http   www codeproject com Articles 17253 A-Custom-Message-Box  http   www codeproject com Articles 327212 Custom-Message-Box-in-VC  http   tutplusplus blogspot com es 2010 07 c-tutorial-create-your-own-custom html  http   medmondson2011 wordpress com 2010 04 07 easy-to-use-custom-c-message-box-with-a-configurable-checkbox   Scrollable MessageBox A Scrollable MessageBox in C   Exception Reporter https   stackoverflow com questions 49224 good-crash-reporting-library-in-c-sharp  http   www codeproject com Articles 6895 A-Reusable-Flexible-Error-Reporting-Framework  Solution   Maybe I think the following answers are good solution  without use a Form   https   stackoverflow com a 14522902 206730 https   stackoverflow com a 14522952 206730

User · Answer

If anyone wants AutoClosingMessageBox in c   I have implemented the equivalent code here is the link to gists static intptr t MessageBoxHookProc int nCode  intptr t wParam  intptr t lParam        if  nCode  lt  0          return CallNextHookEx hHook  nCode  wParam  lParam        auto msg   reinterpret cast lt CWPRETSTRUCT  gt  lParam       auto hook   hHook         Hook Messagebox on Initialization      if   hookCaption empty    amp  amp  msg- gt message    WM INITDIALOG                int nLength   GetWindowTextLength msg- gt hwnd           char  text   new char captionLen   1            GetWindowText msg- gt hwnd  text  captionLen   1              If Caption window found Unhook it          if  hookCaption    text                        hookCaption   string  quot  quot                SetTimer msg- gt hwnd   uintptr t timerID  hookTimeout   TIMERPROC hookTimer               UnhookWindowsHookEx hHook               hHook   0                       return CallNextHookEx hook  nCode  wParam  lParam

User · Answer

DMitryG s code  get the return value of the underlying MessageBox  has a bug so the timerResult is never actually correctly returned  MessageBox Show call returns AFTER OnTimerElapsed completes   My fix is below   public class TimedMessageBox       System Threading Timer  timeoutTimer      string  caption      DialogResult  result      DialogResult  timerResult      bool timedOut   false       TimedMessageBox string text  string caption  int timeout  MessageBoxButtons buttons   MessageBoxButtons OK  DialogResult timerResult   DialogResult None                 caption   caption           timeoutTimer   new System Threading Timer OnTimerElapsed              null  timeout  System Threading Timeout Infinite            timerResult   timerResult          using  timeoutTimer               result   MessageBox Show text  caption  buttons           if  timedOut   result    timerResult             public static DialogResult Show string text  string caption  int timeout  MessageBoxButtons buttons   MessageBoxButtons OK  DialogResult timerResult   DialogResult None            return new TimedMessageBox text  caption  timeout  buttons  timerResult   result             void OnTimerElapsed object state            IntPtr mbWnd   FindWindow   32770    caption      lpClassName is  32770 for MessageBox         if mbWnd    IntPtr Zero              SendMessage mbWnd  WM CLOSE  IntPtr Zero  IntPtr Zero            timeoutTimer Dispose            timedOut   true             const int WM CLOSE   0x0010       System Runtime InteropServices DllImport  user32 dll   SetLastError   true  CharSet   System Runtime InteropServices CharSet Auto       static extern IntPtr FindWindow string lpClassName  string lpWindowName        System Runtime InteropServices DllImport  user32 dll   CharSet   System Runtime InteropServices CharSet Auto       static extern IntPtr SendMessage IntPtr hWnd  UInt32 Msg  IntPtr wParam  IntPtr lParam

User · Answer

There is an undocumented API in user32 dll named MessageBoxTimeout   but it requires Windows XP or later

User · Answer

There is an codeproject project avaliable HERE that provides this functuanility   Following many threads here on SO and other boards this cant be done with the normal MessageBox   Edit   I have an idea that is a bit ehmmm yeah    Use a timer and start in when the MessageBox appears  If your MessageBox only listens to the OK Button  only 1 possibility  then use the OnTick-Event to emulate an ESC-Press with SendKeys Send   ESC     and then stop the timer

User · Answer

You could try this    DllImport  user32 dll   EntryPoint  FindWindow   SetLastError   true   static extern IntPtr FindWindowByCaption IntPtr ZeroOnly  string lpWindowName     DllImport  user32 Dll    static extern int PostMessage IntPtr hWnd  UInt32 msg  int wParam  int lParam    private const UInt32 WM CLOSE   0x0010   public void ShowAutoClosingMessageBox string message  string caption        var timer   new System Timers Timer 5000    AutoReset   false        timer Elapsed    delegate               IntPtr hWnd   FindWindowByCaption IntPtr Zero  caption           if  hWnd ToInt32      0  PostMessage hWnd  WM CLOSE  0  0              timer Enabled   true      MessageBox Show message  caption

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AppActivate  If you don t mind muddying your references a bit  you can include Microsoft Visualbasic  and use this very short way  Display the MessageBox      new System Threading Thread CloseIt   Start        MessageBox Show  quot HI quot     CloseIt Function  public void CloseIt         System Threading Thread Sleep 2000       Microsoft VisualBasic Interaction AppActivate            System Diagnostics Process GetCurrentProcess   Id       System Windows Forms SendKeys SendWait  quot   quot       Now go wash your hands

User · Answer

RogerB over at CodeProject has one of the slickest solutions to this answer  and he did that back in  04  and it s still bangin   Basically  you go here to his project and download the CS file  In case that link ever dies  I ve got a backup gist here  Add the CS file to your project  or copy paste the code somewhere if you d rather do that   Then  all you d have to do is switch  DialogResult result   MessageBox Show  Text   Title   MessageBoxButtons CHOICE    to  DialogResult result   MessageBoxEx Show  Text   Title   MessageBoxButtons CHOICE  timer ms    And you re good to go

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Try the following approach   AutoClosingMessageBox Show  Text    Caption   1000     Where the AutoClosingMessageBox class implemented as following   public class AutoClosingMessageBox       System Threading Timer  timeoutTimer      string  caption      AutoClosingMessageBox string text  string caption  int timeout             caption   caption           timeoutTimer   new System Threading Timer OnTimerElapsed              null  timeout  System Threading Timeout Infinite           using  timeoutTimer              MessageBox Show text  caption             public static void Show string text  string caption  int timeout            new AutoClosingMessageBox text  caption  timeout             void OnTimerElapsed object state            IntPtr mbWnd   FindWindow   32770    caption      lpClassName is  32770 for MessageBox         if mbWnd    IntPtr Zero              SendMessage mbWnd  WM CLOSE  IntPtr Zero  IntPtr Zero            timeoutTimer Dispose              const int WM CLOSE   0x0010       System Runtime InteropServices DllImport  user32 dll   SetLastError   true       static extern IntPtr FindWindow string lpClassName  string lpWindowName        System Runtime InteropServices DllImport  user32 dll   CharSet   System Runtime InteropServices CharSet Auto       static extern IntPtr SendMessage IntPtr hWnd  UInt32 Msg  IntPtr wParam  IntPtr lParam       Update  If you want to get the return value of the underlying MessageBox when user selects something before the timeout you can use the following version of this code   var userResult   AutoClosingMessageBox Show  Yes or No     Caption   1000  MessageBoxButtons YesNo   if userResult    System Windows Forms DialogResult Yes            do something       public class AutoClosingMessageBox       System Threading Timer  timeoutTimer      string  caption      DialogResult  result      DialogResult  timerResult      AutoClosingMessageBox string text  string caption  int timeout  MessageBoxButtons buttons   MessageBoxButtons OK  DialogResult timerResult   DialogResult None             caption   caption           timeoutTimer   new System Threading Timer OnTimerElapsed              null  timeout  System Threading Timeout Infinite            timerResult   timerResult          using  timeoutTimer               result   MessageBox Show text  caption  buttons             public static DialogResult Show string text  string caption  int timeout  MessageBoxButtons buttons   MessageBoxButtons OK  DialogResult timerResult   DialogResult None            return new AutoClosingMessageBox text  caption  timeout  buttons  timerResult   result            void OnTimerElapsed object state            IntPtr mbWnd   FindWindow   32770    caption      lpClassName is  32770 for MessageBox         if mbWnd    IntPtr Zero              SendMessage mbWnd  WM CLOSE  IntPtr Zero  IntPtr Zero            timeoutTimer Dispose             result    timerResult            const int WM CLOSE   0x0010       System Runtime InteropServices DllImport  user32 dll   SetLastError   true       static extern IntPtr FindWindow string lpClassName  string lpWindowName        System Runtime InteropServices DllImport  user32 dll   CharSet   System Runtime InteropServices CharSet Auto       static extern IntPtr SendMessage IntPtr hWnd  UInt32 Msg  IntPtr wParam  IntPtr lParam       Yet another Update    I have checked the  Jack s case with YesNo buttons and discovered that the approach with sending the WM CLOSE message does not work at all  I will provide a fix in the context of the separate AutoclosingMessageBox library  This library contains redesigned approach and  I believe  can be useful to someone  It also available via NuGet package   Install-Package AutoClosingMessageBox   Release Notes  v1 0 0 2   - New Show IWin32Owner  API to support most popular scenarios  in the  context of  1    - New Factory   API to provide full control on MessageBox showing

User · Answer

A solution that works in WinForms   var w   new Form     Size   new Size 0  0     Task Delay TimeSpan FromSeconds 10        ContinueWith  t    gt  w Close    TaskScheduler FromCurrentSynchronizationContext      MessageBox Show w  message  caption     Based on the effect that closing the form that owns the message box will close the box as well   Windows Forms controls have a requirement that they must be accessed on the same thread that created them  Using TaskScheduler FromCurrentSynchronizationContext   will ensure that  assuming that the example code above is executed on the UI thread  or an user-created thread  The example will not work correctly if the code is executed on a thread from a thread pool  e g  a timer callback  or a task pool  e g  on a task created with TaskFactory StartNew or Task Run with default parameters

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Vb net library has a simple solution using interaction class for this   void MsgPopup string text  string title  int secs   3        dynamic intr   Microsoft VisualBasic Interaction CreateObject  WScript Shell        intr Popup text  secs  title      bool MsgPopupYesNo string text  string title  int secs   3        dynamic intr   Microsoft VisualBasic Interaction CreateObject  WScript Shell        int answer   intr Popup text  secs  title   int Microsoft VisualBasic Constants vbYesNo    int Microsoft VisualBasic Constants vbQuestion       return  answer    6

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I know this question is 8 year old  however there was and is a better solution for this purpose  It s always been there  and still is  User32 dll MessageBoxTimeout  This is an undocumented function used by Microsoft Windows  and it does exactly what you want and even more  It supports different languages as well  C  Import   DllImport  quot user32 dll quot   SetLastError   true   public static extern int MessageBoxTimeout IntPtr hWnd  String lpText  String lpCaption  uint uType  Int16 wLanguageId  Int32 dwMilliseconds     DllImport  quot user32 dll quot   SetLastError   true   public static extern IntPtr GetForegroundWindow     How to use it in C   uint uiFlags     MB OK   0x00000000     MB SETFOREGROUND    0x00010000     MB SYSTEMMODAL   0x00001000     MB ICONEXCLAMATION   0x00000030   NativeFunctions MessageBoxTimeout NativeFunctions GetForegroundWindow      quot Kitty quot     quot Hello quot   uiFlags  0  5000    Work smarter  not harder

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I did it like this  var owner   new Form   TopMost   true    Task Delay 30000  ContinueWith t   gt    owner Invoke new Action     gt          if   owner IsDisposed                    owner Close                        var dialogRes    MessageBox Show owner  msg   Info   MessageBoxButtons YesNo  MessageBoxIcon Information

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The System Windows MessageBox Show   method has an overload which takes an owner Window as the first parameter  If we create an invisible owner Window which we then close after a specified time  it s child message box would close as well   Window owner   CreateAutoCloseWindow dialogTimeout   MessageBoxResult result   MessageBox Show owner        So far so good  But how do we close a window if the UI thread is blocked by the message box and UI controls can t be accessed from a worker thread  The answer is - by sending a WM CLOSE windows message to the owner window handle   Window CreateAutoCloseWindow TimeSpan timeout        Window window   new Window                 WindowStyle   WindowStyle None          WindowState   System Windows WindowState Maximized          Background    System Windows Media Brushes Transparent           AllowsTransparency   true          ShowInTaskbar   false          ShowActivated   true          Topmost   true             window Show         IntPtr handle   new WindowInteropHelper window  Handle       Task Delay  int timeout TotalMilliseconds  ContinueWith          t   gt  NativeMethods SendMessage handle  0x10   WM CLOSE    IntPtr Zero  IntPtr Zero         return window      And here is the import for the SendMessage Windows API method   static class NativeMethods        DllImport  user32 dll   CharSet   CharSet Auto       public static extern IntPtr SendMessage IntPtr hWnd  UInt32 Msg  IntPtr wParam  IntPtr lParam

User · Answer

use EndDialog instead of sending WM CLOSE    DllImport  user32 dll    public static extern int EndDialog IntPtr hDlg  IntPtr nResult

[c#] Close a MessageBox after several seconds

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