Async.FromContinuations<'T> Method (F#)

Creates an asynchronous computation that captures the current success, exception and cancellation continuations. The callback must eventually call exactly one of the given continuations.

Namespace/Module Path: Microsoft.FSharp.Control

Assembly: FSharp.Core (in FSharp.Core.dll)

// Signature:
static member FromContinuations : (('T -> unit) * (exn -> unit) * (OperationCanceledException -> unit) -> unit) -> Async<'T>

// Usage:
Async.FromContinuations (callback)

Parameters

Return Value

An asynchronous computation that provides the callback with the current continuations.

Remarks

The argument for this method is a lambda expression that takes three continuation functions, which are typically called cont (the success continuation), ccont (the cancel continuation) and econt (the error continuation), as the following code shows:

Async.FromContinuations (fun (cont, ccont, econt) -> ...)

Warning

If you use this method, you must call exactly one of the continuation functions or else throw an exception, in which case F# calls econt with the exception on your behalf. If you call more than one continuation, call any continuation more than once, or both call a continuation and throw an exception, any subsequent use of the resulting async object may have undefined behavior.

Example

The following example illustrates how to use Async.FromContinuations to wrap an event-based asynchronous computation as an F# async.

open System
open System.ComponentModel
open System.Windows.Forms

type BackgroundWorker with 
        member this.AsyncRunWorker (computation, argument : 'T, progressChangedHandler) : Async<'U> =
            let workerAsync =
                Async.FromContinuations (fun (cont, econt, ccont) ->
                            let handler = new RunWorkerCompletedEventHandler (fun sender args ->          
                                if args.Cancelled then
                                    ccont (new OperationCanceledException()) 
                                elif args.Error <> null then
                                    econt args.Error
                                else
                                    cont (args.Result :?> 'U))
                            this.WorkerSupportsCancellation <- true;
                            this.WorkerReportsProgress <- true
                            this.DoWork.AddHandler(new DoWorkEventHandler(fun sender args ->
                                args.Result <- computation(argument, this, args)))
                            this.ProgressChanged.AddHandler(progressChangedHandler)
                            this.RunWorkerCompleted.AddHandler(handler)
                            this.RunWorkerAsync(argument)
                        )

            async { 
                use! holder = Async.OnCancel(fun _ -> this.CancelAsync())
                return! workerAsync
             }

let factorial number =
    let rec fact number =
        match number with
        | value when value < 0I ->
            raise (InvalidOperationException(sprintf "Cannot compute the factorial of a negative number: %s." (value.ToString())))
        | value when value > 2000I ->
            raise (InvalidOperationException(sprintf "Input too large: %s" (value.ToString())))
        | value when value = 0I -> 1I
        | value when value = 1I -> 1I
        | number -> number * fact (number - 1I)
    fact number

// Recursive isprime function. 
let isprime number =
    let rec check count =
        count > number/2 || (number % count <> 0 && check (count + 1))
    check 2

let isprimeBigInt number =
    let rec check count =
        count > number/2I || (number % count <> 0I && check (count + 1I))
    check 2I

let computeNthPrime (number, worker: BackgroundWorker, eventArgs: DoWorkEventArgs) =
     if (number < 1) then
         invalidOp <| sprintf "Invalid input for nth prime: %s." (number.ToString())
     let mutable count = 0
     let mutable num = 1I
     let isDone = false 
     while (count < number && not eventArgs.Cancel ) do 
         if (worker.CancellationPending) then
             eventArgs.Cancel <- true 
         else 
             let percentComplete = int ((float count) / (float number) * 100.0)
             worker.ReportProgress(percentComplete, num.ToString())
         num <- num + 1I
         if (num < bigint System.Int32.MaxValue) then 
             while (not (isprime (int num))) do
                 num <- num + 1I
         else 
             while (not (isprimeBigInt num)) do
                 num <- num + 1I
         count <- count + 1
     num

let async1 (progressBar:ProgressBar) (label:Label) value =
     let worker = new BackgroundWorker()
     label.Text <- "Computing..." 
     let computation value = worker.AsyncRunWorker(computeNthPrime, value,
                                                   (fun sender eventArgs ->
                                                       label.Text <- "Scanning ... " + eventArgs.UserState.ToString()
                                                       progressBar.Value <- eventArgs.ProgressPercentage ))
     Async.StartWithContinuations(
         computation value,
         (fun result -> label.Text <- sprintf "Result: %s" (result.ToString())),
         (fun exn -> label.Text <- "Operation failed with error:" + exn.Message),
         (fun _ -> label.Text <- "Operation canceled."))

let form = new Form(Text = "Test Form", Width = 400, Height = 400)
let panel1 = new Panel(Dock = DockStyle.Fill)
panel1.DockPadding.All <- 10
let spacing = 5
let button1 = new Button(Text = "Start")
let button2 = new Button(Text = "Start Invalid", Top = button1.Height + spacing)
let button3 = new Button(Text = "Cancel", Top = 2 * (button1.Height + spacing))
let updown1 = new System.Windows.Forms.NumericUpDown(Top = 3 * (button1.Height + spacing), 
                                                     Value = 20m,
                                                     Minimum = 0m,
                                                     Maximum = 1000000m)
let label1 = new Label (Text = "", Top = 4 * (button1.Height + spacing),
                        Width = 300, Height = 2 * button1.Height)
let progressBar = new ProgressBar(Top = 6 * (button1.Height + spacing),
                                  Width = 300)
panel1.Controls.AddRange [| button1; button2; button3; updown1; label1; progressBar; |]
form.Controls.Add(panel1)
button1.Click.Add(fun args -> async1 progressBar label1 (int updown1.Value))
button2.Click.Add(fun args -> async1 progressBar label1 (int (-updown1.Value)))
button3.Click.Add(fun args -> Async.CancelDefaultToken())
Application.Run(form)

Platforms

Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2

Version Information

F# Core Library Versions

Supported in: 2.0, 4.0, Portable

See Also

Reference

Control.Async Class (F#)

Microsoft.FSharp.Control Namespace (F#)