BackgroundWorker 组件替换了 System.Threading 命名空间并添加了功能，但是，也可选择保留 System.Threading 命名空间以备向后兼容和将来使用。有关更多信息，请参见 BackgroundWorker 组件概述。

“Windows 窗体”使用单线程单元 (STA) 模型，因为“Windows 窗体”基于本机 Win32 窗口，而 Win32 窗口从本质上而言是单元线程。STA 模型意味着可以在任何线程上创建窗口，但窗口一旦创建后就不能切换线程，并且对它的所有函数调用都必须在其创建线程上发生。除了 Windows 窗体之外，.NET Framework 中的类使用自由线程模型。有关 .NET Framework 中的线程处理的信息，请参见 托管线程处理。

STA 模型要求需从控件的非创建线程调用的控件上的任何方法必须被封送到（在其上执行）该控件的创建线程。为实现此目的，基类 Control 提供了几种方法（Invoke、BeginInvoke 和 EndInvoke）。Invoke 调用同步方法，而BeginInvoke 调用异步方法。

如果您在控件中为大量占用资源的任务使用多线程，则用户界面可以在背景线程上执行一个大量占用资源的计算的同时保持可响应。

以下示例 (DirectorySearcher) 说明一个多线程 Windows 窗体控件，该控件使用背景线程来递归地搜索一个目录以找到与特定搜索字符串匹配的文件，然后用搜索结果填充列表框。该示例阐释的主要概念如下：

• DirectorySearcher 启动要执行搜索的新线程。该线程执行 ThreadProcedure 方法，而该方法又调用帮助器 RecurseDirectory 方法以执行实际搜索并填充列表框。但是，填充列表框要求线程间调用，接下来的两项对此进行了说明。

• DirectorySearcher 定义 AddFiles 方法以将文件添加到列表框；但是，RecurseDirectory 不能直接调用 AddFiles，因为 AddFiles 只能在创建 DirectorySearcher 的 STA 线程中执行。

• RecurseDirectory 可以 AddFiles 的唯一方式是通过跨线程调用，即通过调用 Invoke 或 BeginInvoke 将 AddFiles 封送到 DirectorySearcher 的创建线程。RecurseDirectory 使用 BeginInvoke 以便可以异步执行该调用。

• 封送一个方法要求函数指针或回调的等效项。这是通过 .NET Framework 中的委托来实现的。BeginInvoke 采用委托作为参数。DirectorySearcher 因此定义了委托 (FileListDelegate)，在其构造函数中将 AddFiles 绑定到 FileListDelegate 的一个实例上，并将此委托实例传递到 BeginInvoke。当完成搜索时，DirectorySearcher 也定义了封送的事件委托。

namespace Microsoft.Samples.DirectorySearcher{   using System;   using System.IO;   using System.Threading;   using System.Windows.Forms;   /// 
   ///      This class is a Windows Forms control that implements a simple directory searcher.   ///      You provide, through code, a search string and it will search directories on   ///      a background thread, populating its list box with matches.   /// 
   public class DirectorySearcher : Control   {      // Define a special delegate that handles marshaling      // lists of file names from the background directory search      // thread to the thread that contains the list box.      private delegate void FileListDelegate(string[] files, int startIndex, int count);      private ListBox listBox;      private string  searchCriteria;      private bool searching;      private bool deferSearch;      private Thread searchThread;      private FileListDelegate fileListDelegate;      private EventHandler onSearchComplete;      public DirectorySearcher()      {         listBox = new ListBox();         listBox.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;         Controls.Add(listBox);         fileListDelegate = new FileListDelegate(AddFiles);         onSearchComplete = new EventHandler(OnSearchComplete);      }      public string SearchCriteria       {         get          {            return searchCriteria;         }         set          {            // If currently searching, abort            // the search and restart it after            // setting the new criteria.            //            bool wasSearching = Searching;                        if (wasSearching)            {               StopSearch();            }            listBox.Items.Clear();            searchCriteria = value;            if (wasSearching)            {               BeginSearch();            }         }      }      public bool Searching       {         get          {            return searching;         }      }      public event EventHandler SearchComplete;      /// 
      /// This method is called from the background thread. It is called through      /// a BeginInvoke call so that it is always marshaled to the thread that      /// owns the list box control.      /// 
      ///       ///       ///       private void AddFiles(string[] files, int startIndex, int count)      {         while(count-- > 0)         {            listBox.Items.Add(files[startIndex + count]);         }      }      public void BeginSearch()       {         // Create the search thread, which          // will begin the search.         // If already searching, do nothing.         //         if (Searching)         {            return;         }         // Start the search if the handle has         // been created. Otherwise, defer it until the         // handle has been created.         if (IsHandleCreated)         {            searchThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(ThreadProcedure));            searching = true;            searchThread.Start();         }         else         {            deferSearch = true;         }      }      protected override void OnHandleDestroyed(EventArgs e)      {         // If the handle is being destroyed and you are not         // recreating it, then abort the search.         if (!RecreatingHandle)         {            StopSearch();         }         base.OnHandleDestroyed(e);      }      protected override void OnHandleCreated(EventArgs e)       {         base.OnHandleCreated(e);         if (deferSearch)         {            deferSearch = false;            BeginSearch();         }      }      /// 
      /// This method is called by the background thread when it has finished      /// the search.      /// 
      ///       ///       private void OnSearchComplete(object sender, EventArgs e)      {         if (SearchComplete != null)         {            SearchComplete(sender, e);         }      }      public void StopSearch()      {         if (!searching)         {            return;         }         if (searchThread.IsAlive)         {            searchThread.Abort();            searchThread.Join();         }         searchThread = null;         searching = false;      }      /// 
      /// Recurses the given path, adding all files on that path to       /// the list box. After it finishes with the files, it      /// calls itself once for each directory on the path.      /// 
      ///       private void RecurseDirectory(string searchPath)      {         // Split searchPath into a directory and a wildcard specification.         //         string directory = Path.GetDirectoryName(searchPath);         string search = Path.GetFileName(searchPath);         // If a directory or search criteria are not specified, then return.         //         if (directory == null || search == null)         {            return;         }         string[] files;                  // File systems like NTFS that have         // access permissions might result in exceptions         // when looking into directories without permission.         // Catch those exceptions and return.         try          {            files = Directory.GetFiles(directory, search);         }         catch(UnauthorizedAccessException)         {            return;         }         catch(DirectoryNotFoundException)         {            return;         }         // Perform a BeginInvoke call to the list box         // in order to marshal to the correct thread. It is not         // very efficient to perform this marshal once for every         // file, so batch up multiple file calls into one         // marshal invocation.         int startingIndex = 0;         while(startingIndex < files.Length)         {            // Batch up 20 files at once, unless at the            // end.            //            int count = 20;            if (count + startingIndex >= files.Length)            {               count = files.Length - startingIndex;            }            // Begin the cross-thread call. Because you are passing            // immutable objects into this invoke method, you do not have to            // wait for it to finish. If these were complex objects, you would            // have to either create new instances of them or             // wait for the thread to process this invoke before modifying            // the objects.            IAsyncResult r = BeginInvoke(fileListDelegate, new object[] {files, startingIndex, count});            startingIndex += count;         }         // Now that you have finished the files in this directory, recurse for         // each subdirectory.         string[] directories = Directory.GetDirectories(directory);         foreach(string d in directories)         {            RecurseDirectory(Path.Combine(d, search));         }      }      /// 
      /// This is the actual thread procedure. This method runs in a background      /// thread to scan directories. When finished, it simply exits.      /// 
      private void ThreadProcedure()      {         // Get the search string. Individual          // field assigns are atomic in .NET, so you do not         // need to use any thread synchronization to grab         // the string value here.         try          {            string localSearch = SearchCriteria;            // Now, search the file system.            //            RecurseDirectory(localSearch);         }         finally         {            // You are done with the search, so update.            //            searching = false;            // Raise an event that notifies the user that            // the search has terminated.              // You do not have to do this through a marshaled call, but            // marshaling is recommended for the following reason:            // Users of this control do not know that it is            // multithreaded, so they expect its events to             // come back on the same thread as the control.            BeginInvoke(onSearchComplete, new object[] {
       this, EventArgs.Empty});         }      }   }}

在窗体上使用多线程控件：

　下面的示例说明如何在窗体上使用多线程

DirectorySearcher 控件。

namespace SampleUsage{   using Microsoft.Samples.DirectorySearcher;   using System;   using System.Drawing;   using System.Collections;   using System.ComponentModel;   using System.Windows.Forms;   using System.Data;   /// 
   ///      Summary description for Form1.   /// 
   public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form   {      private DirectorySearcher directorySearcher;      private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox searchText;      private System.Windows.Forms.Label searchLabel;      private System.Windows.Forms.Button searchButton;      public Form1()      {         //         // Required for Windows Forms designer support.         //         InitializeComponent();         //         // Add any constructor code after InitializeComponent call here.         //      }      #region Windows Form Designer generated code      /// 
      ///      Required method for designer support. Do not modify      ///      the contents of this method with the code editor.      /// 
      private void InitializeComponent()      {         this.directorySearcher = new Microsoft.Samples.DirectorySearcher.DirectorySearcher();         this.searchButton = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();         this.searchText = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();         this.searchLabel = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();         this.directorySearcher.Anchor = (((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Bottom)             | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left)             | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right);         this.directorySearcher.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 72);         this.directorySearcher.SearchCriteria = null;         this.directorySearcher.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(271, 173);         this.directorySearcher.TabIndex = 2;         this.directorySearcher.SearchComplete += new System.EventHandler(this.directorySearcher_SearchComplete);         this.searchButton.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 16);         this.searchButton.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(88, 40);         this.searchButton.TabIndex = 0;         this.searchButton.Text = "&Search";         this.searchButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.searchButton_Click);         this.searchText.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left)             | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right);         this.searchText.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(104, 24);         this.searchText.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(175, 20);         this.searchText.TabIndex = 1;         this.searchText.Text = "c:\\*.cs";         this.searchLabel.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.Red;         this.searchLabel.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(104, 48);         this.searchLabel.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(176, 16);         this.searchLabel.TabIndex = 3;         this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(291, 264);         this.Controls.AddRange(new System.Windows.Forms.Control[] {
        this.searchLabel,                                                        this.directorySearcher,                                                        this.searchText,                                                        this.searchButton});         this.Text = "Search Directories";      }      #endregion      /// 
      ///    The main entry point for the application.      /// 
      [STAThread]      static void Main()       {         Application.Run(new Form1());      }      private void searchButton_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)      {         directorySearcher.SearchCriteria = searchText.Text;         searchLabel.Text = "Searching...";         directorySearcher.BeginSearch();      }      private void directorySearcher_SearchComplete(object sender, System.EventArgs e)      {         searchLabel.Text = string.Empty;      }   }}