How we implement "Please wait ...." screen in flex when app is busy

I have a function that restores all of the default settings of my application. This process can take a bit of time, so I would like to implement a "Please wait..." modal popup to let the user know that everything is alright and the program hasn't frozen. Once the function complete开发者_运维百科s its task, I'd like for it to remove the message, and resume normal behavior.

alt text http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/c5906da30c.jpg

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On start:

var waitingpopup:TitleWindow = new TitleWindow()
waitingpopup.title = "Please Wait ..."

PopupManager.addPopup(waitingpopup, this, true)

On complete:

PopupManager.removePopup(waitingpopup)

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As long as you don't need to convey anything to the user other than "the app is still running", I think a more elegant method would be to just change the cursor:

mx.managers.CursorManager.setBusyCursor()
//do stuff
mx.managers.CursorManager.removeBusyCursor()

The cursor will change to a clock with spinning hands. I'm not sure if there's a way to override this with your own animation, but it's simple and doesn't require you to design your own window.

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You can use the PopUpManager to create a Modal PopUp with an animated spinner. The Alert component does this. You can always reference the Alert source code to see how it works.

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For those arriving late to this question, Adobe released a Throbber in 4.5:

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&loc=en_us&extid=1283019

http://fusiongrokker.com/post/using-the-flex-4-5-busyindicator

http://flexdevtips.blogspot.com/2011/05/simple-animating-preloader-and.html

For example, run the following from the fusiongrokker link above:

        private function busyOn():void
        {
            throbberId.visible = true;
        }

        private function busyOff():void
        {
            throbberId.visible = false;
        }
    ]]>
</fx:Script>

<s:VGroup width="100%" 
          paddingLeft="10" 
          paddingRight="10" 
          paddingTop="10" 
          paddingBottom="10">
    <s:BusyIndicator 
        id="throbberId" 
        visible="false" 
        rotationInterval="{rotationInterval}" />
    <s:Button 
        id="start" 
        click="busyOn()" 
        width="100%" 
        height="50" 
        label="start" />
    <s:Button 
        id="stop" 
        click="busyOff()" 
        width="100%" 
        height="50" 
        label="stop" />
</s:VGroup>