[c#] How to use WinForms progress bar?

I want to show progress of calculations, which are performing in external library.

For example if I have some calculate method, and I want to use it for 100000 values in my Form class I can write:

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }            

    private void Caluculate(int i)
    {
        double pow = Math.Pow(i, i);
    }

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        progressBar1.Maximum = 100000;
        progressBar1.Step = 1;

        for(int j = 0; j < 100000; j++)
        {
            Caluculate(j);
            progressBar1.PerformStep();
        }
    }
}

I should perform step after each calculation. But what if I perform all 100000 calculations in external method. When should I "perform step" if I don't want to make this method dependant on progress bar? I can, for example, write

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void CaluculateAll(System.Windows.Forms.ProgressBar progressBar)
    {
        progressBar.Maximum = 100000;
        progressBar.Step = 1;

        for(int j = 0; j < 100000; j++)
        {
            double pow = Math.Pow(j, j); //Calculation
            progressBar.PerformStep();
        }
    }

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        CaluculateAll(progressBar1);
    }
}

but I don't want to do like that.

Since .NET 4.5 you can use combination of async and await with Progress for sending updates to UI thread:

private void Calculate(int i)
{
    double pow = Math.Pow(i, i);
}

public void DoWork(IProgress<int> progress)
{
    // This method is executed in the context of
    // another thread (different than the main UI thread),
    // so use only thread-safe code
    for (int j = 0; j < 100000; j++)
    {
        Calculate(j);

        // Use progress to notify UI thread that progress has
        // changed
        if (progress != null)
            progress.Report((j + 1) * 100 / 100000);
    }
}

private async void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    progressBar1.Maximum = 100;
    progressBar1.Step = 1;

    var progress = new Progress<int>(v =>
    {
        // This lambda is executed in context of UI thread,
        // so it can safely update form controls
        progressBar1.Value = v;
    });

    // Run operation in another thread
    await Task.Run(() => DoWork(progress));

    // TODO: Do something after all calculations
}

Tasks are currently the preferred way to implement what BackgroundWorker does.

Tasks and Progress are explained in more detail here:

• Async in 4.5: Enabling Progress and Cancellation in Async APIs
• Reporting Progress from Async Tasks by Stephen Cleary
• Task parallel library replacement for BackgroundWorker?

Hey there's a useful tutorial on Dot Net pearls: http://www.dotnetperls.com/progressbar

In agreement with Peter, you need to use some amount of threading or the program will just hang, somewhat defeating the purpose.

Example that uses ProgressBar and BackgroundWorker: C#

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

namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
        {
            // Start the BackgroundWorker.
            backgroundWorker1.RunWorkerAsync();
        }

        private void backgroundWorker1_DoWork(object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
        {
            for (int i = 1; i <= 100; i++)
            {
                // Wait 100 milliseconds.
                Thread.Sleep(100);
                // Report progress.
                backgroundWorker1.ReportProgress(i);
            }
        }

        private void backgroundWorker1_ProgressChanged(object sender, ProgressChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            // Change the value of the ProgressBar to the BackgroundWorker progress.
            progressBar1.Value = e.ProgressPercentage;
            // Set the text.
            this.Text = e.ProgressPercentage.ToString();
        }
    }
} //closing here

There is Task exists, It is unnesscery using BackgroundWorker, Task is more simple. for example:

ProgressDialog.cs:

   public partial class ProgressDialog : Form
    {
        public System.Windows.Forms.ProgressBar Progressbar { get { return this.progressBar1; } }

        public ProgressDialog()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        public void RunAsync(Action action)
        {
            Task.Run(action);
        }
    }

Done! Then you can reuse ProgressDialog anywhere:

var progressDialog = new ProgressDialog();
progressDialog.Progressbar.Value = 0;
progressDialog.Progressbar.Maximum = 100;

progressDialog.RunAsync(() =>
{
    for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
    {
        Thread.Sleep(1000)
        this.progressDialog.Progressbar.BeginInvoke((MethodInvoker)(() => {
            this.progressDialog.Progressbar.Value += 1;
        }));
    }
});

progressDialog.ShowDialog();