|
| 1 | +# Observer |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +## Motivation |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +- To be informed when status changed |
| 6 | +- To be informed when certain things happened. |
| 7 | +- Listen to events and get notified when they occurs |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +- `INotifyPropertyChanged` |
| 10 | +- `INotifyPropertyChanging` |
| 11 | +- `IObservable<T>` |
| 12 | +- `IObserver<T>` |
| 13 | +- `ObervableCollection<T>` |
| 14 | +- `BindingList<T>` |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +> Observer is the object to be informed when event occurs |
| 17 | +> Observable is the object generating the event. |
| 18 | +
|
| 19 | +## By Event |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +C# has builtin event support. Use `+=` to subscribe a method. |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +> [!NOTE] |
| 24 | +> Event handler is the Observer |
| 25 | +> `Player` is the Observable |
| 26 | +
|
| 27 | +```cs |
| 28 | +Player player = new() { Id = 1 }; |
| 29 | +Player enemy = new() { Id = 2 }; |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +player.OnHurt += (object? sender, PlayerOnHurtArgs args) => // event handler method is the Observer// [!code highlight] |
| 32 | + Console.WriteLine($"Player {(sender as Player)?.Id ?? -1} get hurt by damage {args.Damage} from player {args.Id}"); // [!code highlight] |
| 33 | +
|
| 34 | +player.GetHurt(1, enemy); |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +class Player |
| 37 | +{ |
| 38 | + public int Id { get; init; } |
| 39 | + public int Health { get; private set; } = 100; |
| 40 | + public event EventHandler<PlayerOnHurtArgs>? OnHurt; |
| 41 | + public void GetHurt(int damage, Player another) |
| 42 | + { |
| 43 | + Health -= damage; |
| 44 | + OnHurt?.Invoke(this, new(damage, another.Id)); // [!code highlight] |
| 45 | + } |
| 46 | +} |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +record PlayerOnHurtArgs(int Damage, int Id); |
| 49 | +``` |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +## Weak Event |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +When a method of an instance was added to an event, the containing object of the method will never be collected by GC. |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +```cs |
| 56 | +Player player = new() { Id = 1 }; |
| 57 | +Player? enemy = new() { Id = 2 }; |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +player.OnHurt += enemy.OnHurtHandler; // subscribes a handler from another instance // [!code highlight] |
| 60 | +WeakReference<Player> enemyRef = new(enemy); |
| 61 | +enemy = null; |
| 62 | +GC.Collect(); // should enemy be collected? // [!code highlight] |
| 63 | +Console.WriteLine($"enemy is {(enemyRef.TryGetTarget(out _) ? "alive" : "collected")}"); // <- enemy is alive // [!code highlight] |
| 64 | +
|
| 65 | +class Player |
| 66 | +{ |
| 67 | + public int Id { get; init; } |
| 68 | + public int Health { get; private set; } = 100; |
| 69 | + public event EventHandler<PlayerOnHurtArgs>? OnHurt; |
| 70 | + public void GetHurt(int damage, Player enemy) |
| 71 | + { |
| 72 | + Health -= damage; |
| 73 | + OnHurt?.Invoke(this, new(damage, enemy.Id)); |
| 74 | + } |
| 75 | + public void OnHurtHandler(object? sender, PlayerOnHurtArgs args) // [!code ++] |
| 76 | + { // [!code ++] |
| 77 | + Console.WriteLine($"Player {(sender as Player)?.Id ?? -1} get hurt by damage {args.Damage} from player {args.Id}"); // [!code ++] |
| 78 | + } // [!code ++] |
| 79 | +} |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +record PlayerOnHurtArgs(int Damage, int Id); |
| 82 | +``` |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +That's why weak event pattern matters. |
| 85 | +```cs |
| 86 | +Player player = new() { Id = 1 }; |
| 87 | +Player? enemy = new() { Id = 2 }; |
| 88 | + |
| 89 | +player.OnHurt += enemy.OnHurtHandler; // subscribes a handler from another instance // [!code --] |
| 90 | +WeakEventManager<Player, PlayerOnHurtArgs>.AddHandler(player. "OnHurt", enemy.OnHurtHandler) // [!code ++] |
| 91 | +WeakReference<Player> enemyRef = new(enemy); |
| 92 | +enemy = null; |
| 93 | +GC.Collect(); // should enemy be collected? // [!code highlight] |
| 94 | +Console.WriteLine($"enemy is {(enemyRef.TryGetTarget(out _) ? "alive" : "collected")}"); // <- enemy is collected // [!code highlight] |
| 95 | +
|
| 96 | +class Player |
| 97 | +{ |
| 98 | + public int Id { get; init; } |
| 99 | + public int Health { get; private set; } = 100; |
| 100 | + public event EventHandler<PlayerOnHurtArgs>? OnHurt; |
| 101 | + public void GetHurt(int damage, Player enemy) |
| 102 | + { |
| 103 | + Health -= damage; |
| 104 | + OnHurt?.Invoke(this, new(damage, enemy.Id)); |
| 105 | + } |
| 106 | + public void OnHurtHandler(object? sender, PlayerOnHurtArgs args) // [!code ++] |
| 107 | + { // [!code ++] |
| 108 | + Console.WriteLine($"Player {(sender as Player)?.Id ?? -1} get hurt by damage {args.Damage} from player {args.Id}"); // [!code ++] |
| 109 | + } // [!code ++] |
| 110 | +} |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | +record PlayerOnHurtArgs(int Damage, int Id); |
| 113 | +``` |
| 114 | +> [!WARNING] |
| 115 | +> `WeakEventManager` is not available in .NET Core |
| 116 | +
|
| 117 | +## Observer and Observable |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +The major downside of event in C# is **event leak**, which happens when event handlers remain subscribed and prevent objects from being garbage collected, leading to memory leaks. |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +.NET has builtin types to implement the same event mechanism with `System.IObserver<T>` and `System.IObservable<T>` |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +```mermaid |
| 124 | +classDiagram |
| 125 | + class IObserver~T~ { |
| 126 | + <<interface>> |
| 127 | + +OnNext(value: T) void |
| 128 | + } |
| 129 | + class IObservable~T~ { |
| 130 | + <<interface>> |
| 131 | + +Subscribe(observer: IObserver~T~) IDisposable |
| 132 | + } |
| 133 | + class IDisposable { |
| 134 | + <<interface>> |
| 135 | + +Dispose() void |
| 136 | + } |
| 137 | + class PlayerObserver{ |
| 138 | + +OnNext(value: PlayerEventArgs) void |
| 139 | + } |
| 140 | + class Player { |
| 141 | + -subscriptions: HashSet~Subscription~ |
| 142 | + +Subscribe(observer: IObserver~PlayerEventArgs~) IDisposable |
| 143 | + +Attack(enemy: Player, damage: int) void |
| 144 | + } |
| 145 | + class PlayerSubscription { |
| 146 | + -player: Player |
| 147 | + +Observer: IObserver~PlayerEventArgs~ |
| 148 | + +Dispose() void |
| 149 | + } |
| 150 | + class PlayerEventArgs { |
| 151 | + +PlayerId: int |
| 152 | + } |
| 153 | + class OnAttackEventArgs { |
| 154 | + +PlayerId: int |
| 155 | + +EnemyId: int |
| 156 | + +Damage: int |
| 157 | + } |
| 158 | + Player ..|> IObservable |
| 159 | + Player ..> PlayerEventArgs |
| 160 | + Player ..> IObserver |
| 161 | + PlayerObserver ..|> IObserver |
| 162 | + PlayerObserver ..> PlayerEventArgs |
| 163 | + PlayerSubscription ..|> IDisposable |
| 164 | + PlayerSubscription <.. Player |
| 165 | + PlayerEventArgs <|-- OnAttackEventArgs |
| 166 | +``` |
| 167 | + |
| 168 | +- `Subscribe` acts like `+=` |
| 169 | +- `Dispose` acts like `-=` |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | +```cs |
| 172 | +Player player = new() { Id = 1 }; |
| 173 | +Player? enemy = new() { Id = 2 }; |
| 174 | +var subscriber = new PlayerObserver(); |
| 175 | +using var _ = player.Subscribe(subscriber); |
| 176 | +player.Attack(enemy, 100); // [!code highlight] |
| 177 | +
|
| 178 | +class Player : IObservable<PlayerEventArgs> |
| 179 | +{ |
| 180 | + public int Id { get; init; } |
| 181 | + public int Health { get; private set; } = 100; |
| 182 | + private readonly HashSet<Subscription> subscriptions = []; // events as collections // [!code highlight] |
| 183 | +
|
| 184 | + // subscribes an event just like `+=` when using builtin event // [!code highlight] |
| 185 | + public IDisposable Subscribe(IObserver<PlayerEventArgs> observer) // [!code highlight] |
| 186 | + { |
| 187 | + var subscription = new Subscription(this, observer); |
| 188 | + subscriptions.Add(subscription); |
| 189 | + return subscription; |
| 190 | + } |
| 191 | + |
| 192 | + public void Attack(Player enemy, int damage) |
| 193 | + { |
| 194 | + // ... |
| 195 | + foreach (var sub in subscriptions) |
| 196 | + { |
| 197 | + sub.Observer.OnNext(new OnAttackEventArgs { EnemyId = enemy.Id, Damage = damage, PlayerId = Id }); |
| 198 | + } |
| 199 | + } |
| 200 | + // a subscription should know which one is being subscribed and who is the observer. // [!code highlight] |
| 201 | + // observer take a `PlayerEventArgs` which is a base EventArgs, allowing different type of subscription to be inside `subscriptions` |
| 202 | + private class Subscription(Player player, IObserver<PlayerEventArgs> observer) : IDisposable // [!code highlight] |
| 203 | + { |
| 204 | + private readonly Player player = player; |
| 205 | + public IObserver<PlayerEventArgs> Observer { get; } = observer; |
| 206 | + |
| 207 | + public void Dispose() |
| 208 | + { |
| 209 | + player.subscriptions.Remove(this); |
| 210 | + } |
| 211 | + } |
| 212 | +} |
| 213 | + |
| 214 | +class PlayerEventArgs |
| 215 | +{ |
| 216 | + public int PlayerId { get; set; } |
| 217 | +} |
| 218 | +class OnAttackEventArgs : PlayerEventArgs |
| 219 | +{ |
| 220 | + public int EnemyId { get; set; } |
| 221 | + public int Damage { get; set; } |
| 222 | +} |
| 223 | +class PlayerObserver : IObserver<PlayerEventArgs> |
| 224 | +{ |
| 225 | + public void OnCompleted() { } |
| 226 | + |
| 227 | + public void OnError(Exception error) { } |
| 228 | + |
| 229 | + public void OnNext(PlayerEventArgs value) |
| 230 | + { |
| 231 | + if (value is OnAttackEventArgs args) |
| 232 | + { |
| 233 | + Console.WriteLine($"Enemy id: {args.EnemyId} was attacked by player id: {args.PlayerId} with damage {args.Damage}"); |
| 234 | + } |
| 235 | + // ... |
| 236 | + } |
| 237 | +} |
| 238 | +``` |
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