Net Web Form Upload spread sheet process uploaded file keep user informed

[MikeR]

I have a netwebform
where I upload a file (spread sheet)
on successfull update I process the spreadsheet
This all works well.
But how do I keep the user informed of the progress ?
The file is only uploaded after the 'save' button is pressed.
It could be a faily lenghty process ?
 

[kevin plummer]

You may want to experiment with the new progress bar. So the URL on save should go to a memory form and have the progress bar interact with your process.

[Bruce]

Unfortunately Kevin, that's not gonna help in this case.

The issue of uploading large files, and the lack of feedback to the user while this is happening, is something I'm looking into. At the moment Mike there is unfortunately nothing you can do. This is just the way browsers work when they do a POST.

There are however some plugins that take advantage of various clever behaviors which make it possible - and I'm just figuring out which plugin I think is best to apply. This isn't a short-term solution, it will take some time to do - but I think will make that feedback a bit easier.

cheers
Bruce

[MikeR]

Thanks Bruce.
perhaps I could make it a 2 stage process.
eg. first just upload the spread sheet,
then 2nd process actually process it. as per create spread sheet example.(long running task)

I would be nice if I could kick off the 2nd process automatically (1st prize)
and/or have the long running task start as the pop-up or page opens (2nd prize)
then close it again (ok im getting ahead of myself)

[Bruce]

Sure Mike, the time is obviously in 2 parts;
a) the time to upload the actual file
b) the time you take to "do stuff" before the result is returned to the browser.

So, yes, "returning the result" before beginning to process the incoming file is a good thing.
there are quite a few ways one could do this - but let me start by asking what are you going _to_ when the user clicks the Save button on the form? Back to the browse or to some other page?

Cheers
Bruce

[MikeR]

The form is a popup form like an update from a browse.
I only want to go back to the browse once both tasks (actually 2 half tasks) have completed.

[Bruce]

which takes us back to your original question -

>> But how do I keep the user informed of the progress ?

this is currently "hard" to do. I'm looking into it for a future version, but it's a non-trivial problem.

cheers
Bruce

[kevin plummer]

Bruce I know that is true of the file uploading but could Mike use the progress control once the file is uploaded and he starts to process his ss?

[Bruce]

He's coming back to a browse Kevin, and progress bars aren't currently implemented in a browse context, so it would get icky.

I'm not even sure what a progress bar in a browse context would look like - where it would go etc.

I guess if the browse was on a form, and the form had a progress control then it's do-able at some level though.

Cheers
Bruce

[useless]

Maybe a different page footer could be shown which periodically updates a message that shows the current status?

JAT.