C# Delegate with Generic T as Button

Question

I'm losing my mind trying to figure this out. I am developing a large windows application that requires all the controls in the main form to have their values updated in near real time. I moved the processing of this continuous method to its own thread, which in general is fine, but I knew that it required me to create a Delegate for setting my controls that were created in a different thread. However, I have a series of buttons that need to have the same various properties set for each one, but with different values. I was thinking I could setup a Delegate with a Generic type being Button, so I could simply pass in the proper button control when it is time to update its properties. But I am missing something, and it doesn't work:

//If this is wrong, please let me know
private delegate void SafeButtonText<T>(string value) where T : Button;

    private void SetButtonTextSafe<T>(string value) where T : Button
    {
        //Using the generic Button passed in, set its values
        if (T.InvokeRequired) //This doesn't compile 
        {
            var d = new SafeButtonText<T>(SetButtonTextSafe<T>);
            T.Invoke(d, new object[] { value });  //This doesn't compile 
        }
        else
            T.Text = value;  //This doesn't compile 
    }

I thought I could use it like this (which doesn't seem possible)

SetButtonTextSafe<qualityButton>(values[0]);

If this is possible, or if there is a much better way of doing this, please feel free to tell me in detail. (if I can using this on a Button, I'd create another delegate for other control types as well)

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

A type is just that...a type. You can't invoke an instance of it because you have no instance. It is merely reflected metadata.

You need to pass an instance of your button to your method.

private delegate void SafeButtonText<T>(T button, string value) where T : Button;

private void SetButtonTextSafe<T>(T button, string value) where T : Button
{
    //Using the generic Button passed in, set its values
    if (button.InvokeRequired) //This now compiles
    {
        var d = new SafeButtonText<T>(SetButtonTextSafe<T>);
        button.Invoke(d, new object[] { value });  //This now compiles
    }
    else
        button.Text = value;  //This now compiles
}