Daily Archives: December 20, 2005

Threading for dummies (i.e. me)

Just Rambling

It would be really handy if the compiler could tell when you have written code to access UI components in one of the external thread processes of the BackgroundWorker component, such as DoWork. (Yes, the debugger tells you when you messed up… just not the compiler.)

Luckily at least some of these are caught in runtime.

I will have to write myself a little reminder comment in these methods NO UI ACCESS HERE, DUMM-DUMM! I think that I will get over this very quickly though., as I get more and more used to working with asynch processes.

You, too, can write asynch processes (almost) easily in VS2005 now with the BackgroundWorker component. But you still have to know what you are doing and pay attention. You don’t need to know threading inside and out – but have an awareness of it.



Don’t Forget: www.acehaid.org

Finally gave in and bought a new printer

Tools

I have an old HP Laserjet 4si that I bought a looooooong time ago. I think the retail price was $5000 and I paid about $3500. I can only remember that it was when I was living with a certain guy and we broke up when I was 33. So it is at least 11 years old! It has really been a die-hard and has MORE than earned it’s keep, even with having to lug this 125 lb beast through three household moves.

It actually still performs like a trooper but it’s no longer 100% dependable. I get paper jams that drive me batty when I have to print out lengthy reports – whether it’s the 100 and 200 page reports I have to print for a client  about 10 times a month or even just a 10 page document. I had the printer serviced last winter and started using better quality paper in it. The jams are back again though and yesterday, under duress, I had to send out a 100 page report with pale streaks through it (which the client was able fade out when they made their photocopies). Apparently this is either the (not very old) fuser or something suddenly wrong with the print cartridge causing the streakes. Solvable, but dumping more money into it.

So I gave in and bought its’ replacement today. A 38 pound, $400 (after rebate) faster (22ppm vs 16 ppm max) LaserJet 1320t. It also does duplex printing (which I occasionally would love to have). I never needed the network capabilities so I don’t have to pay for that now. And the paper trays hold 250 pages instead of 500. No problem there for me.

It’s a hard thing to do. I always have better things to spend my money on, but I realized that at this point, it will cost me a good $100+/year to keep it going in addition to the aggravation of those occasional paper jams which are very costly in their own way.

Don’t Forget: www.acehaid.org