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Writing a Multiplayer Game (in WPF)

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16 Mar 2012CPOL25 min read 216.7K   17.1K   246  
This article will explain some concepts of game development and how to apply and adapt them for multiplayer development.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq.Expressions;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Text;
using Pfz.DataTypes;
using Pfz.Extensions;

namespace Pfz.Threading.Contexts
{
	/// <summary>
	/// Use this class if you want to "pack" many database errors at once, or
	/// use it's statics methods to add, get or clear errors.
	/// </summary>
	public sealed class ThreadErrors:
		IDisposable
	{
		[ThreadStatic]
		private static object _threadRecord;
	
		[ThreadStatic]
		private static Dictionary<object, HashSet<object>> _errors;

		[ThreadStatic]
		private static HashSet<object> _errorsHashSet;
		
		[ThreadStatic]
		private static ThreadErrors _owner;
		
		private object _oldRecord;
		
	
		/// <summary>
		/// Creates a new database error "pack".
		/// </summary>
		public ThreadErrors(object record=null)
		{
			if (_owner == null)
			{
				_errors = new Dictionary<object, HashSet<object>>();
				_errorsHashSet = new HashSet<object>();
				_owner = this;
			}
			else
				_oldRecord = _threadRecord;
			
			_threadRecord = record;
		}
		
		/// <summary>
		/// Disposes this object and maybe throws and exception if there
		/// are errors.
		/// </summary>
		public void Dispose()
		{
			_threadRecord = _oldRecord;
			
			if (_owner == this)
			{
				_owner = null;
				var errors = _errors;
				var errorsHashSet = _errorsHashSet;
				_errors = null;
				
				if (errorsHashSet.Count > 0 || errors.Count > 0)
					OnThrowingException(errorsHashSet, errors);
			}
		}
		
		/// <summary>
		/// Gets a value indicating if there are errors packed.
		/// </summary>
		public static bool HasErrors
		{
			get
			{
				return _errors != null && (_errors.Count > 0 || _errorsHashSet.Count > 0);
			}
		}
		
		/// <summary>
		/// Gets the errors that are not specific to a data-context.
		/// </summary>
		/// <returns></returns>
		public static HashSet<object> GetGlobalErrors()
		{
			return _errorsHashSet;
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Gets the dictionary with the errors.
		/// </summary>
		public static Dictionary<object, HashSet<object>> GetErrorsDictionary()
		{
			return _errors;
		}
		
		/// <summary>
		/// Clear all the errors.
		/// </summary>
		public static void ClearErrors()
		{
			if (_errors != null)
			{
				_errors = new Dictionary<object, HashSet<object>>();
				_errorsHashSet = new HashSet<object>();
			}
		}
		
		/// <summary>
		/// Adds an error to the packet, or throws an exception immediatelly.
		/// In general errors are string, but you can add any object if you
		/// know how to use it later.
		/// </summary>
		public static void AddError(object error)
		{
			if (error == null)
				throw new ArgumentNullException("error");
		
			HashSet<object> hashset;
			if (_errors == null)
			{
				hashset = new HashSet<object>();
				hashset.Add(error);

				var dictionary = new Dictionary<object, HashSet<object>>();
				OnThrowingException(hashset, dictionary);
			}
			
			if (_threadRecord == null)
			{
				_errorsHashSet.Add(error);
				return;
			}

			if (!_errors.TryGetValue(_threadRecord, out hashset))
			{
				hashset = new HashSet<object>();
				_errors.Add(_threadRecord, hashset);
			}
			
			hashset.Add(error);
		}
		/// <summary>
		/// Adds a PropertyError object to the error list.
		/// </summary>
		public static void AddError(PropertyInfo propertyInfo, object error)
		{
			AddError(new PropertyError(propertyInfo, error));
		}
		
		/// <summary>
		/// Adds a PropertyError object to the error list.
		/// Uses an expression to know what propertyInfo to use.
		/// </summary>
		public static void AddError<T>(Expression<Func<T>> getPropertyExpression, object error)
		{
			var propertyInfo = ReflectionHelper.GetProperty(getPropertyExpression);
			AddError(propertyInfo, error);
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Gets a single string with all errors.
		/// </summary>
		public static string GetSimpleAllErrorsMessage()
		{
			if (_errors == null || (_errors.Count == 0 && _errorsHashSet.Count == 0))
				return null;
			
			return _GetSimpleAllErrorsMessage(_errors);
		}

		internal static string _GetSimpleAllErrorsMessage(Dictionary<object, HashSet<object>> dictionary)
		{
			StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder();

			foreach(var error in _errorsHashSet)
			{
				result.Append(error);
				result.Append("\r\n");
			}
			
			foreach(var list in dictionary.Values)
			{
				foreach(var error in list)
				{
					result.Append(error);
					result.Append("\r\n");
				}
			}
					
			return result.ToString();
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Event invoked when an exception is about to be thrown.
		/// </summary>
		public static event Action<ThrowingExceptionEventArgs> ThrowingException;

		private static void OnThrowingException(HashSet<object> globalErrors, Dictionary<object, HashSet<object>> errorsDictionary)
		{
			var throwing = ThrowingException;
			if (throwing == null)
				throw new ValidationException(globalErrors, errorsDictionary);

			var args = new ThrowingExceptionEventArgs();
			args.ErrorsDictionary = errorsDictionary;
			args.GlobalErrors = globalErrors;
			throwing(args);

			if (!args.WasHandled)
				throw new ValidationException(globalErrors, errorsDictionary);
		}
	}
}

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License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Software Developer (Senior) Microsoft
United States United States
I started to program computers when I was 11 years old, as a hobbyist, programming in AMOS Basic and Blitz Basic for Amiga.
At 12 I had my first try with assembler, but it was too difficult at the time. Then, in the same year, I learned C and, after learning C, I was finally able to learn assembler (for Motorola 680x0).
Not sure, but probably between 12 and 13, I started to learn C++. I always programmed "in an object oriented way", but using function pointers instead of virtual methods.

At 15 I started to learn Pascal at school and to use Delphi. At 16 I started my first internship (using Delphi). At 18 I started to work professionally using C++ and since then I've developed my programming skills as a professional developer in C++ and C#, generally creating libraries that help other developers do their work easier, faster and with less errors.

Want more info or simply want to contact me?
Take a look at: http://paulozemek.azurewebsites.net/
Or e-mail me at: paulozemek@outlook.com

Codeproject MVP 2012, 2015 & 2016
Microsoft MVP 2013-2014 (in October 2014 I started working at Microsoft, so I can't be a Microsoft MVP anymore).

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