What is a good way to shutdown Threads blocked on NamedPipeServer#WaitForConnection?

Question

I start my application which spawns a number of Threads, each of which creates a NamedPipeServer (.net 3.5 added managed types for Named Pipe IPC) and waits for clients to

Answer 1

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.Pipes;
using System.Threading;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;

namespace PIPESERVER
{
    public partial class PWIN : UserControl
   {
    public string msg = "", cmd = "", text = "";
    public NamedPipeServerStream pipe;
    public NamedPipeClientStream dummyclient;
    public string PipeName = "PIPE1";
    public static string status = "";
    private static int numThreads = 2;
    int threadId;
    int i;
    string[] word;
    char[] buffer;
    public StreamString ss;

    public bool ConnectDummyClient()
    {
        new Thread(() =>
        {
            dummyclient = new NamedPipeClientStream(".", "PIPE1");
            try
            {
                dummyclient.Connect(5000); // 5 second timeout
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                Act.m.md.AMsg(e.Message); // Display error msg
                Act.m.console.PipeButton.IsChecked = false;
            }
        }).Start();
        return true;
    }

    public bool RaisePipe()
    {
        TextBlock tb = Act.m.tb;
        try
        {
            pipe = new NamedPipeServerStream("PIPE1", PipeDirection.InOut, numThreads);
            threadId = Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId;
            pipe.WaitForConnection();
            Act.m.md.Msg("Pipe Raised");
            return true;
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            string err = e.Message;
            tb.Inlines.Add(new Run("Pipe Failed to Init on Server Side"));
            tb.Inlines.Add(new LineBreak());
            return false;
        }
    }

    public void ServerWaitForMessages()
    {
        new Thread(() =>
        {
            cmd = "";
            ss = new StreamString(pipe);
            while (cmd != "CLOSE")
            {
                try
                {
                    buffer = new char[256];
                    text = "";
                    msg = ss.ReadString().ToUpper();
                    word = msg.Split(' ');
                    cmd = word[0].ToUpper();
                    for (i = 1; i < word.Length; i++) text += word[i] + " ";
                    switch (cmd)
                    {
                        case "AUTHENTICATE": ss.WriteString("I am PIPE1 server"); break;
                        case "SOMEPIPEREQUEST":ss.WriteString(doSomePipeRequestReturningString()):break;
                        case "CLOSE": ss.WriteString("CLOSE");// reply to client
                            Thread.Sleep(1000);// wait for client to pick-up shutdown message
                            pipe.Close();
                            Act.m.md.Msg("Server Shutdown ok"); // Server side message
                            break;
                    }
                }
                catch (IOException iox)
                {
                    string error = iox.Message;
                    Act.m.md.Msg(error);
                    break;
                }
            }
        }).Start();
    }

    public void DummyClientCloseServerRequest()
    {
        StreamString ss = new StreamString(dummyclient);
        ss.WriteString("CLOSE");
        ss.ReadString();
    }

//Usage, Place ToggleButtons inside StackPanel, and back them in code thus:

private void PipeButton_Checked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Act.m.pwin.ConnectDummyClient();
        Act.m.pwin.RaisePipe();
    }
private void PipeButton_Unchecked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Act.m.pwin.DummyClientCloseServerRequest();
        Act.m.console.WaitButton.IsChecked = false;
        Keyboard.Focus(Act.m.md.tb1);
    }
private void WaitButton_Checked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Act.m.pwin.Wait();
    }
private void WaitButton_Unchecked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
    }

//Worked like a charm for me. Respectfully, zzzbc }