Windows Form Refresh in Real Time

Question

_{Thursday, August 4, 2016 3:57 PM}

I have been creating a small GUI to deploy scripts to get a bit more familiar with Powershell. And I am having trouble with a part of the script.

I want to have the user updated as the script deploys to different computers in our AD. To do so I have created a form with a rich text box that opens when you send the deployment. As the deployment hits different computers I send the information to the text box. The trouble is, that I can not get the textbox in the form to update in real time. I have used some different methods including .Update(), .Refresh(), and .AppendText() without success. 

I think that .Refresh() is what I need, because it repaints the entire form, but my implementation must be a bit off. Do I need to refresh the textbox instead of the form? Should I do both? Do I need to add sleep sections to the code so that it has time to execute?

Here are the relevant snippets from my code:

#This is the function that will write to the textbox ($DSTextbox)
Function _DeployScript 
{

#GUI window that appears on deployment and uses $DSTextBox to update user
    $DeploymentStatus.ShowDialog()  

#Here I display num of computers identified
    $DeployList = Get-Content $ComputerList
    $num = $DeployList.Length 
    $DSTextBox.Text = "$num computers identified`n" #Textbox displaying the real time info
        $DeploymentStatus.Refresh() 

#I then create a log for the computers hit with deployment
    {
        ***code to create a log
    }
    
#Then I deploy the file
    ForEach ($ComputerEntry in $DeployList)
    {   
        $DSTextBox.Text = $DSTextBox.Text + "`nDeploying to $ComputerEntry ..."
        $DeploymentStatus.Refresh()

            {
                ***code to deploy to the computer
            }
        }       
}


#Once the user has supplied information to the GUI they hit this button, which calls the function above

$FinishBtn.Add_Click({

    _DeployScript 
        
    $DSTextBox.Text = $DSTextBox.Text + "`n`nDeployment Complete."
        $DeploymentStatus.Refresh()
})

All replies (6)

_{Thursday, August 4, 2016 7:54 PM ✅Answered}

You cannot access the form after you execute ShowDialog.  Place you script inside the form and it can write to the textbox.

\(ツ)_/

_{Thursday, August 4, 2016 9:29 PM ✅Answered}

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
$form1=New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Form

$form1.StartPosition='CenterScreen'
$fp = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.FlowLayoutPanel
$form1.Controls.Add($fp)
$fp.Dock = 'Fill'

$btn = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$btn.Text = 'Run Processes'
$fp.Controls.Add($btn)
$btn.add_Click({
    $textbox1.Lines += 'Start'
    for($i=1; $i -lt 5; $i++){
        $textbox1.Lines+= 'Step ' + $i
        $textbox1.ScrollToCaret()
        [System.Windows.Forms.Application]::DoEvents()
        sleep 2
    }
    $textbox1.Lines += 'Finished'
})

$textbox1 = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.TextBox
$textbox1.Width = $form1.Width
$textbox1.Multiline = $true
$textbox1.WIdth = 
$fp.COntrols.Add($textbox1)

$form1.ShowDialog()

\(ツ)_/

_{Thursday, August 4, 2016 4:44 PM}

I encourage you to visit the forums over at sapien and the blog posts, you'll find a lot more info in dealing with forms.

https://www.sapien.com/blog/2012/05/16/powershell-studio-creating-responsive-forms/

Dan

_{Thursday, August 4, 2016 6:19 PM}

Thanks! That is actually a really cool site. I'll see what I can find there. Still looking for some pointers on this specific code though if anyone can look it over.

_{Thursday, August 4, 2016 7:56 PM}

Got ya. So the function execution needs to be embedded in the form itself. Cool. I'll try that out.

_{Tuesday, August 9, 2016 4:49 PM}

This also works! Thanks!