Thread Programming in C++/CLR - multithreading

Question

I am really struggling with Thread programming in Visual C++/CLR. I have searched a lot and found lots of material on the internet including the official resources however i am still confused. There are very few resources for C++/CLR. Most of them are for C# or old style C++. I try to run this simple code. I choose a new project of type clr console applicatioN and place the following code there but i am getting errors which i am not understading.
// thread_clr.cpp : main project file.
#include "stdafx.h"
using namespace System;
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
class MessagePrinter;
// class ThreadTester demonstrates basic threading concepts
class ThreadTester
{
static int Main()
{
// Create and name each thread. Use MessagePrinter's
// Print method as argument to ThreadStart delegate.
MessagePrinter printer1 = gcnew MessagePrinter();
Thread thread1 = gcnew Thread ( gcnew ThreadStart( printer1.Print ) );
thread1.Name = "thread1";
MessagePrinter printer2 = gcnew MessagePrinter();
Thread thread2 = gcnew Thread ( gcnew ThreadStart( printer2.Print ) );
thread2.Name = "thread2";
MessagePrinter printer3 = gcnew MessagePrinter();
Thread thread3 = gcnew Thread ( gcnew ThreadStart( printer3.Print ) );
thread3.Name = "thread3";
Console.WriteLine( "Starting threads" );
// call each thread's Start method to place each
// thread in Started state
thread1.Start();
thread2.Start();
thread3.Start();
Console.WriteLine( "Threads started\n" );
} // end method Main
}; // end class ThreadTester
class MessagePrinter
{
private int sleepTime;
private static Random random = gcnew Random();
// constructor to initialize a MessagePrinter object
public MessagePrinter()
{
// pick random sleep time between 0 and 5 seconds
sleepTime = random.Next( 5001 );
}
//controls Thread that prints message
public void Print()
{
// obtain reference to currently executing thread
Thread current = Thread.CurrentThread;
// put thread to sleep for sleepTime amount of time
Console.WriteLine(current.Name + " going to sleep for " + sleepTime );
Thread.Sleep ( sleepTime );
// print thread name
Console.WriteLine( current.Name + " done sleeping" );
} // end method Print
} // end class MessagePrinter
Please help. Or better still please guide me to some tutorials or something to that affect. I understand SO is not a tutorial site and i am not asking one but i would appreciate if some one could atleast point out the resources for C++/CLR thread. C++/CLR Winform Threads. Would really appreciate it
Regards
Some errors are:
'printer1' uses undefined class 'MessagePrinter' 'Print' : is not a
member of 'System::Int32' 'System::Threading::ThreadStart' : a
delegate constructor expects 2 argument(s)
'System::Threading::Thread::Thread' : no appropriate default
constructor available 'System::Threading::Thread::Thread' : no
appropriate default constructor available 'syntax error : 'int' should
be preceded by ':' 'cannot declare a managed 'random' in an unmanaged
'MessagePrinter'may not declare a global or static variable, or a
member of a native type that refers to objects in the gc heap
'MessagePrinter::random' : you cannot embed an instance of a reference
type, 'System::Random', in a native type 'MessagePrinter::random' :
only static const integral data members can be initialized within a
class 'MessagePrinter' should be preceded by ':' 'void' should be
preceded by ':'

Answer 1

I fixed that code for you, but let me say one thing first: you really need to learn the basics first. This was not even C++/CLI code and you did not find or could not fix the most glaring syntax errors. Forget threads for a while, they are difficult. Learn basic stuff first.
#include "stdafx.h"
using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
ref class MessagePrinter
{
private:
int sleepTime;
static Random^ random = gcnew Random();
// constructor to initialize a MessagePrinter object
public:
MessagePrinter()
{
// pick random sleep time between 0 and 5 seconds
sleepTime = random->Next( 5001 );
}
//controls Thread that prints message
void Print()
{
// obtain reference to currently executing thread
Thread^ current = Thread::CurrentThread;
// put thread to sleep for sleepTime amount of time
Console::WriteLine(current->Name + " going to sleep for " + sleepTime );
Thread::Sleep ( sleepTime );
// print thread name
Console::WriteLine( current->Name + " done sleeping" );
} // end method Print
}; // end class MessagePrinter
int main()
{
// Create and name each thread. Use MessagePrinter's
// Print method as argument to ThreadStart delegate.
MessagePrinter^ printer1 = gcnew MessagePrinter();
Thread^ thread1 = gcnew Thread(gcnew ThreadStart( printer1, &MessagePrinter::Print ) );
thread1->Name = "thread1";
MessagePrinter^ printer2 = gcnew MessagePrinter();
Thread^ thread2 = gcnew Thread ( gcnew ThreadStart( printer2, &MessagePrinter::Print ) );
thread2->Name = "thread2";
MessagePrinter^ printer3 = gcnew MessagePrinter();
Thread^ thread3 = gcnew Thread ( gcnew ThreadStart( printer3, &MessagePrinter::Print ) );
thread3->Name = "thread3";
Console::WriteLine( "Starting threads" );
// call each thread's Start method to place each
// thread in Started state
thread1->Start();
thread2->Start();
thread3->Start();
Console::WriteLine( "Threads started\n" );
Console::ReadLine();
return 0;
}

Answer 2

Be Aware that you leave the Main function and therefor all threads will be terminated... so place an Console.ReadLine() in the last line of your "main"...
Also: Your source code is C# and not C++/CLI...