Export (0) Print
Expand All

Application::Exit Method


Namespace:  System.Windows.Forms
Assembly:  System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)

static void Exit()

The Exit method stops all running message loops on all threads and closes all windows of the application. This method does not necessarily force the application to exit. The Exit method is typically called from within a message loop, and forces Run to return. To exit a message loop for the current thread only, call ExitThread.

Exit raises the following events and performs the associated conditional actions:

  • A FormClosing event is raised for every form represented by the OpenForms property. This event can be canceled by setting the Cancel property of their FormClosingEventArgs parameter to true.

  • If one of more of the handlers cancels the event, then Exit returns without further action. Otherwise, a FormClosed event is raised for every open form, then all running message loops and forms are closed.


The Exit method does not raise the Closed and Closing events, which are obsolete as of .NET Framework 2.0.

The following code example lists numbers in a list box on a form. Each time you click button1, the application adds another number to the list.

The Main method calls Run to start the application, which creates the form, listBox1, and button1. When the user clicks button1, the button1_Click method adds numbers one to three to the list box, and displays a MessageBox. If the user clicks No on the MessageBox, the button1_Click method adds another number to the list. If the user clicks Yes, the application calls Exit, to process all remaining messages in the queue and then to quit.

The example requires that listBox1 and button1 have been instantiated and placed on a form.

   static void main()
      // Starts the application.
      Application::Run( gcnew Form1 );

   void button1_Click( Object^ sender, System::EventArgs^ e )
      // Populates a list box with three numbers. 
      int i = 3;
         listBox1->Items->Add( j );

      /* Determines whether the user wants to exit the application.
       * If not, adds another number to the list box. */ 
      while ( MessageBox::Show( "Exit application?", "",
         MessageBoxButtons::YesNo ) == ::DialogResult::No )
         // Increments the counter ands add the number to the list box.
         listBox1->Items->Add( i );

      // The user wants to exit the application. Close everything down.

.NET Framework


.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1



© 2014 Microsoft