TaskChain Xbase++ Reference Documentation

TaskChain

Current Version: 11.6.0

Chilkat.TaskChain

Run multiple asynchronous Chilkat tasks in a defined sequence.

Chilkat.TaskChain manages a sequence of Chilkat.Task objects and runs them one after another. It is useful when multiple asynchronous Chilkat operations must execute in a predictable order while still allowing the entire chain to be started, monitored, waited on, canceled, or run synchronously. A task chain can stop when a task fails, or continue depending on the configured behavior.

Sequential async workflow

Append multiple Task objects and run them in order when one operation must finish before the next begins.

Chain-level execution

Start the entire chain, run it synchronously, wait for completion, or cancel the chain as a single coordinated operation.

Monitor progress and status

Inspect whether the chain is live, finished, inert, canceled, failed, or still running.

Access individual tasks

Retrieve tasks by index after execution to inspect each task's status, success flag, error text, and result.

Stop-on-failure control

Use StopOnFailedTask to control whether the chain stops at the first failed task or continues to later tasks.

Diagnostics

Use task and chain status information together with LastErrorText and each task's result details to troubleshoot ordered async workflows.

Common pattern: Create the individual async tasks, append them to a TaskChain in the required order, set StopOnFailedTask as appropriate, run the chain, wait for completion, then inspect each task's success status and result. Use TaskChain when operations must run sequentially; use individual Task objects when each async operation can be managed on its own.

Object Creation

LOCAL oTaskChain
oTaskChain := CreateObject("Chilkat.TaskChain")

// ... use oTaskChain ...

oTaskChain:destroy()

Xbase++ uses the Chilkat ActiveX through the automation object returned by CreateObject(); properties and methods are accessed with the send operator (oHttp:ConnectTimeout := 30, oHttp:Download(cUrl, cPath)), and :destroy() releases the object. Register the Chilkat ActiveX matching the bitness of your Xbase++ application. To bind to a specific major version of Chilkat, append the major version number to the ProgID, such as CreateObject("Chilkat.TaskChain.11") for Chilkat v11.*.*.

Boolean properties, arguments and return values are integers in the ActiveX: pass 1 or 0, and test a method's success with == 1. A method that fails to return an object returns NIL. Objects returned by methods (such as an HttpResponse or JsonObject) are automation objects too and should likewise be released with :destroy(). Methods and properties that pass or return raw byte arrays are not shown on this page; use the BinData-based alternatives (methods ending in Bd) or the base64 / hex string-encoded variants instead.

Properties

DebugLogFilePath
oTaskChain:DebugLogFilePath // Character

If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.

Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.

Possible causes of hangs include:

  • A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
  • A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
  • An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.

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Finished
oTaskChain:Finished // Numeric (read-only)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

1 if the task status is canceled, aborted, or completed. A task chain can only reach the canceled status if it was activated via the Run method, made it onto the internal thread pool thread's queue, was waiting for a pool thread to become available, and was then canceled prior to the task actually starting.

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Inert
oTaskChain:Inert // Numeric (read-only)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

1 if the task status is empty or loaded. When a task chain is inert, it has been loaded but is not scheduled to run yet.

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LastErrorHtml
oTaskChain:LastErrorHtml // Character (read-only)

Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorText
oTaskChain:LastErrorText // Character (read-only)

Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorXml
oTaskChain:LastErrorXml // Character (read-only)

Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastMethodSuccess
oTaskChain:LastMethodSuccess // Numeric

Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: 1 means success, 0 means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.

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LastStringResult
oTaskChain:LastStringResult // Character (read-only)

In SQL Server stored procedures, this property holds the string return value of the most recent method call that returns a string. It is accessible only when Chilkat.Global.KeepStringResult is set to TRUE. SQL Server has limitations on string lengths returned from methods and properties, but temp tables can be used to access large strings.

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LastStringResultLen
oTaskChain:LastStringResultLen // Numeric (read-only)

The length, in characters, of the string contained in the LastStringResult property.

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Live
oTaskChain:Live // Numeric (read-only)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

1 if the task status is queued or running. When a task chain is live, it is either already running, or is on the thread pool thread's queue waiting for a thread to become available.

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NumTasks
oTaskChain:NumTasks // Numeric (read-only)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

The number of tasks contained within the task chain.

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Status
oTaskChain:Status // Character (read-only)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

The current status of the task chain. Possible values are:

  • empty -- No tasks have yet been appended to the task chain.
  • loaded -- The task chain has been loaded (appended) with one or more task objects.
  • queued -- The task chain is in the thread pool's queue of tasks awaiting to be run.
  • running -- The task chain is currently running.
  • canceled -- The task chain was canceled before it entered the running state.
  • aborted -- The task chain was canceled while it was in the running state.
  • completed -- The task chain completed.

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StatusInt
oTaskChain:StatusInt // Numeric (read-only)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

The current status of the task as an integer value. Possible values are:

  • 1 -- empty -- No tasks have yet been appended to the task chain.
  • 2 -- loaded -- The task chain has been loaded (appended) with one or more task objects.
  • 3 -- queued -- The task chain is in the thread pool's queue of tasks awaiting to be run.
  • 4 -- running -- The task chain is currently running.
  • 5 -- canceled -- The task chain was canceled before it entered the running state.
  • 6 -- aborted -- The task chain was canceled while it was in the running state.
  • 7 -- completed -- The task chain completed.

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StopOnFailedTask
oTaskChain:StopOnFailedTask // Numeric
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

If 1 then stops execution of the task chain if any individual task fails. Task failure is defined by the standard LastMethodSuccess property. If 0, then all of the tasks in the chain will be run even if some fail. The default value of this property is 1.

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VerboseLogging
oTaskChain:VerboseLogging // Numeric

If set to 1, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is 0. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
oTaskChain:Version // Character (read-only)

Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0"

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Methods

Append
nSuccess := oTaskChain:Append(oTask) // returns Numeric (1/0)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

Appends a task to the task chain. Can fail if the task is already part of another chain. (A task can only be part of a single chain.)

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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Cancel
nSuccess := oTaskChain:Cancel() // returns Numeric (1/0)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

Cancels execution of the asynchronous task chain.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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GetTask
oTask := oTaskChain:GetTask(nIndex) // returns ChilkatTask
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

Returns the Nth task in the chain. The 1st task is at index 0.

Returns NIL on failure

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Run
nSuccess := oTaskChain:Run() // returns Numeric (1/0)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

Queues the task chain to run on the internal Chilkat thread pool. Each task in the chain will run, one after the other.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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RunSynchronously
nSuccess := oTaskChain:RunSynchronously() // returns Numeric (1/0)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

Runs the task chain synchronously. Then this method returns after all the tasks in the chain have been run.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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SleepMs
oTaskChain:SleepMs(nNumMs)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

Convenience method to force the calling thread to sleep for a number of milliseconds.

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Wait
nSuccess := oTaskChain:Wait(nMaxWaitMs) // returns Numeric (1/0)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.52

Waits for the task chain to complete. Returns when all of the tasks in the chain have completed, or after maxWaitMs milliseconds have elapsed. (A maxWaitMs value of 0 is to wait indefinitely.) Returns (0) if the task chain has not yet been started by calling the Run method, or if the maxWaitMs expired. If the task chain completed, was already completed, was canceled, or aborted, then this method returns 1.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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