How to add a Timeout to Console.ReadLine()?

Question

I have a console app in which I want to give the user x seconds to respond to the prompt. If no input is made after a certain period of time, program logic should

Answer 1

string ReadLine(int timeoutms)
{
    ReadLineDelegate d = Console.ReadLine;
    IAsyncResult result = d.BeginInvoke(null, null);
    result.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne(timeoutms);//timeout e.g. 15000 for 15 secs
    if (result.IsCompleted)
    {
        string resultstr = d.EndInvoke(result);
        Console.WriteLine("Read: " + resultstr);
        return resultstr;
    }
    else
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Timed out!");
        throw new TimedoutException("Timed Out!");
    }
}

delegate string ReadLineDelegate();

Answer 2

// Wait for 'Enter' to be pressed or 5 seconds to elapse
using (Stream s = Console.OpenStandardInput())
{
    ManualResetEvent stop_waiting = new ManualResetEvent(false);
    s.BeginRead(new Byte[1], 0, 1, ar => stop_waiting.Set(), null);

    // ...do anything else, or simply...

    stop_waiting.WaitOne(5000);
    // If desired, other threads could also set 'stop_waiting' 
    // Disposing the stream cancels the async read operation. It can be
    // re-opened if needed.
}

Answer 3

I can't comment on Gulzar's post unfortunately, but here's a fuller example:

            while (Console.KeyAvailable == false)
            {
                Thread.Sleep(250);
                i++;
                if (i > 3)
                    throw new Exception("Timedout waiting for input.");
            }
            input = Console.ReadLine();

Answer 4

string readline = "?";
ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(
    delegate
    {
        readline = Console.ReadLine();
    }
);
do
{
    Thread.Sleep(100);
} while (readline == "?");

Note that if you go down the "Console.ReadKey" route, you lose some of the cool features of ReadLine, namely:

• Support for delete, backspace, arrow keys, etc.
• The ability to press the "up" key and repeat the last command (this comes in very handy if you implement a background debugging console that gets a lot of use).

To add a timeout, alter the while loop to suit.

Answer 5

I may be reading too much into the question, but I am assuming the wait would be similar to the boot menu where it waits 15 seconds unless you press a key. You could either use (1) a blocking function or (2) you could use a thread, an event, and a timer. The event would act as a 'continue' and would block until either the timer expired or a key was pressed.

Pseudo-code for (1) would be:

// Get configurable wait time
TimeSpan waitTime = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(15.0);
int configWaitTimeSec;
if (int.TryParse(ConfigManager.AppSetting["DefaultWaitTime"], out configWaitTimeSec))
    waitTime = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(configWaitTimeSec);

bool keyPressed = false;
DateTime expireTime = DateTime.Now + waitTime;

// Timer and key processor
ConsoleKeyInfo cki;
// EDIT: adding a missing ! below
while (!keyPressed && (DateTime.Now < expireTime))
{
    if (Console.KeyAvailable)
    {
        cki = Console.ReadKey(true);
        // TODO: Process key
        keyPressed = true;
    }
    Thread.Sleep(10);
}

Answer 6

My code is based entirely on the friend's answer @JSQuareD

But I needed to use Stopwatch to timer because when I finished the program with Console.ReadKey() it was still waiting for Console.ReadLine() and it generated unexpected behavior.

It WORKED PERFECTLY for me. Maintains the original Console.ReadLine ()

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("What is the answer? (5 secs.)");
        try
        {
            var answer = ConsoleReadLine.ReadLine(5000);
            Console.WriteLine("Answer is: {0}", answer);
        }
        catch
        {
            Console.WriteLine("No answer");
        }
        Console.ReadKey();
    }
}

class ConsoleReadLine
{
    private static string inputLast;
    private static Thread inputThread = new Thread(inputThreadAction) { IsBackground = true };
    private static AutoResetEvent inputGet = new AutoResetEvent(false);
    private static AutoResetEvent inputGot = new AutoResetEvent(false);

    static ConsoleReadLine()
    {
        inputThread.Start();
    }

    private static void inputThreadAction()
    {
        while (true)
        {
            inputGet.WaitOne();
            inputLast = Console.ReadLine();
            inputGot.Set();
        }
    }

    // omit the parameter to read a line without a timeout
    public static string ReadLine(int timeout = Timeout.Infinite)
    {
        if (timeout == Timeout.Infinite)
        {
            return Console.ReadLine();
        }
        else
        {
            var stopwatch = new Stopwatch();
            stopwatch.Start();

            while (stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds < timeout && !Console.KeyAvailable) ;

            if (Console.KeyAvailable)
            {
                inputGet.Set();
                inputGot.WaitOne();
                return inputLast;
            }
            else
            {
                throw new TimeoutException("User did not provide input within the timelimit.");
            }
        }
    }
}