Spargine is a collection of open-source assemblies and NuGet packages designed for .NET 10, which I have been developing and maintaining since the release of .NET Framework 2. These assemblies are not only a core part of my projects but are also actively deployed in production environments across several companies I collaborate with.

Get Spargine

You can access the source code and NuGet packages here:

• GitHub: Spargine 10
• NuGet: dotNetDaveNuGet

Introducing ExecutionHelper

Many operations can fail when coding—not due to the code itself but because external resources (e.g., files, networks, services) might be temporarily unavailable. For instance, a web call might fail due to heavy network traffic or server overload.

To manage these intermittent issues, I created ExecutionHelper, which includes two methods:

• ProgressiveRetry()
• ProgressiveRetryAsync()

These methods execute operations with retry logic, allowing for progressive delays between retries. You can specify the number of retries and the delay in milliseconds between each attempt.

Example Usage

Here is a simple example of how to use ProgressiveRetry():

var result = ExecutionHelper.ProgressiveRetry(() =>
{
    var drives = DriveHelper.GetRemovableDrives();
}, retryCount: 3, retryWaitMilliseconds: 10);

In this example, the code attempts to get removable drives up to three times, with a 10-millisecond delay between each attempt. The method returns the number of attempts made before the operation succeeded.

Automatic Error Logging

If you want to log any errors automatically, pass an ILogger object into the method like this:

var result = ExecutionHelper.ProgressiveRetry(() =>
{
    var drives = DriveHelper.GetRemovableDrives();
}, retryCount: 3, retryWaitMilliseconds: 10, logger: _logger);

Additionally, the result will include a list of any errors encountered during retries, which you can manually log if needed.

Why Use ProgressiveRetry?

When building reliable applications, managing transient failures is crucial. ProgressiveRetry() and ProgressiveRetryAsync() provide an effortless way to add retry logic to your code, helping reduce the risk of failures caused by temporary issues such as network disruptions or resource contention. These methods implement progressive backoff strategies, ensuring your retries happen at increasing intervals, giving resources time to recover.

The next time you need to manage intermittent failures give these methods a try! They can significantly improve your application’s resilience.

Proactive Resource Checks

Before implementing a retry mechanism, it is smart to first check if the required resource is even available. For example, why attempt a web service call if there is no network connection? Checking for connectivity upfront can save processing time and avoid unnecessary retries.

In Spargine, I have created a handy method called IsNetworkAvailable() in the ComputerInfo type. This method helps determine whether the computer has a network connection, allowing you to prevent certain operations when the network is down.

By combining ProgressiveRetry() with proactive resource checks, you can create more robust, efficient applications that minimize failure and improve user experience.

Pick up any books by David McCarter by going to Amazon.com: http://bit.ly/RockYourCodeBooks

If you liked this article, please buy David a cup of Coffee by going here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dotnetdave

© The information in this article is copywritten and cannot be preproduced in any way without express permission from David McCarter.