Android Question Loading layout not being displayed until mutiple PutSimple statements complete execution.

[rleiman]

Hi Everyone,

I noticed that if I try to load a layout to ask the user to wait while coding to write to storage executes. Immediately after the code to load the layout is the coding to write to storage. The layout does not get displayed until the code that writes to storage finishes. Is there a way around this issue?

I also tried using ProgressDialogShow in hopes that it would keep the dialog showing prior to the storage writing code but the same problem occurs.

Here is the coding I'm using:

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)

    If FirstTime Then

        LoadMainLayout

        ProgressDialogShow("Please wait while the images are loaded...")
'        Activity.LoadLayout("PleaseWait")
   
'        PanelPleaseWait.SetBackgroundImage(LoadBitmap(File.DirAssets, "hourglass.jpg"))
'        PanelPleaseWait.Top = 0
'        PanelPleaseWait.Left = 0
'        PanelPleaseWait.Height = Activity.Height
'        PanelPleaseWait.Width = Activity.Width
'        PanelPleaseWait.Visible = True
   
        ' Create a map of photos (key = name, value = image)
        ' This will be loaded into an UltraListView.
        '---------------------------------------------------
        Photos.Initialize
        Photos.Put("One of the 7 masjids", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0320.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("The Jamarat", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0367.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Makka - Roof of Masjid", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0270.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Uhud - Masjid", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0327.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Masjid Kuba", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0325.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Uhud - Graves", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0328.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Kabba - The black stone", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0278.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Maqam-e-Ibrahim", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0272.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Bus to Makka", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0221.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Hajj terminal", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0375.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Muzdalifah - Salat", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0361.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Mina - Transportation", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0357.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Mina - Tents", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0350.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Mina - Where we sleep", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0349.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Changing of the Quibla", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0337.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Masjid Kuba 1", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0335.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Uhud - Quran revealed", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0329.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Kaba - Day time", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0273.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Kaba - Night time", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0261.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Madina - Day time", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0308.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Arafat - About to climb", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0251.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Madina - Inside", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0310.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Masjid Kuba 2", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0324.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Arafat - At the top", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0254.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Muzdalifah - Night time", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0362.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Makka - Duah", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0285.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))
        Photos.Put("Madina - Roof of Masjid", LoadBitmapSample(File.DirAssets, "IMG_0312.jpg", 50dip, 50dip))

        intTotalPhotosInList = Photos.Size
       
        ' Put the photo list into storage.
        ' Later on this will be used to get image titles and image file names.
        '---------------------------------------------------------------------
        kvsPhotoList.Initialize(File.DirDefaultExternal, "avPhotoList", Photos.Size)
        kvsPhotoList.DeleteAll
       
        ' 1st parameter is the key.
        ' 2nd parameter is the index.
        ' 3rd parameter is the value.
        '
        ' 1st set for index 0 value contains the photo title.
        ' 2nd set for index 1 value contains the photo image file name.
        '--------------------------------------------------------------
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("0", 0, "One of the 7 masjids")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("0", 1, "IMG_0320.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("1", 0, "The Jamarat")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("1", 1, "IMG_0367.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("2", 0, "Makka - Roof of Masjid")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("2", 1, "IMG_0270.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("3", 0, "Uhud - Masjid")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("3", 1, "IMG_0327.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("4", 0, "Masjid Kuba")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("4", 1, "IMG_0325.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("5", 0, "Uhud - Graves")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("5", 1, "IMG_0328.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("6", 0, "Kabba - The black stone")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("6", 1, "IMG_0278.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("7", 0, "Maqam-e-Ibrahim")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("7", 1, "IMG_0272.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("8", 0, "Bus to Makka")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("8", 1, "IMG_0221.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("9", 0, "Hajj terminal")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("9", 1, "IMG_0375.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("10", 0, "Muzdalifah - Salat")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("10", 1, "IMG_0361.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("11", 0, "Mina - Transportation")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("11", 1, "IMG_0357.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("12", 0, "Mina - Tents")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("12", 1, "IMG_0350.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("13", 0, "Mina - Where we sleep")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("13", 1, "IMG_0349.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("14", 0, "Changing of the Quibla")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("14", 1, "IMG_0337.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("15", 0, "Masjid Kuba 1")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("15", 1, "IMG_0335.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("16", 0, "Uhud - Quran revealed")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("16", 1, "IMG_0329.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("17", 0, "Kaba - Day time")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("17", 1, "IMG_0273.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("18", 0, "Kaba - Night time")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("18", 1, "IMG_0261.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("19", 0, "Madina - Day time")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("19", 1, "IMG_0308.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("20", 0, "Arafat - About to climb")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("20", 1, "IMG_0251.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("21", 0, "Madina - Inside")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("21", 1, "IMG_0310.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("22", 0, "Masjid Kuba 2")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("22", 1, "IMG_0324.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("23", 0, "Arafat - At the top")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("23", 1, "IMG_0254.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("24", 0, "Muzdalifah - Night time")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("24", 1, "IMG_0362.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("25", 0, "Makka - Duah")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("25", 1, "IMG_0285.jpg")

        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("26", 0, "Madina - Roof of Masjid")
        kvsPhotoList.PutSimple1("26", 1, "IMG_0312.jpg")

''        PanelPleaseWait.Visible = False
        ProgressDialogHide
    End If

    LoadPreviousState

    Select strNameOfCurrentActivity
   
    Case "main"
        LoadMainLayout
   
    Case "settings"
        LoadSettingsLayout
    End Select

    intTotalPhotosInList = 27
End Sub

 

[Kevin]

I'm not 100% sure this will work but you can try:

If FirstTime Then

LoadMainLayout: DoEvents

........

Edit to say you may wish to move the "DoEvents" to a spot after calling the progress dialog or other panels...

 

[Erel]

Adding several DoEvents will allow the Progress dialog to appear and animate itself.

 

[rleiman]

Hi Everyone,

Adding 2 of them worked perfectly.

I do have a question. Why won't it work with just 1 DoEvents?

 

[DonManfred]

Because there are more events which have to be done at that time before the layout appears. Maybe it helps if ypu put DoEvents inside your LoadLayout-Sub. I think the DoEvents is called from within Activity.LoadLayout(layoutfile) as often as it needs.

Maybe Erel could say exactly why one DoEvents is not enough in your case!?

 

[Erel]

When you call DoEvents the internal message queue is processed and all the GUI messages are handled. I guess that the native progress dialog sends another message as a response to the first one. The result is that it only appears after the second call.

 

[rleiman]

Thanks everyone for the help.

At least I know that I need to just play around with it if needed. I'm glad it's working.