Does WiFi.connect() block the loop?

[wesner0019]

Wondering if the WiFi.connect() blocks the loop? I want to use my device when there is not wifi but automatically connect when I get into range of wifi.

Thanks

[BulldogLowell]

some reading here that you may find useful

[wesner0019]

I currently use spark.connect but this is blocking I was wondering if I call wifi.connect would block the loop too if not I would call wifi connect wait for the connection them connect to the cloud

[ScruffR]

This would also answer some of your question
http://docs.spark.io/firmware/#wifi-connect

and from @BulldogLowell 's suggestion to this
http://docs.spark.io/firmware/#system-modes-semi-automatic-mode

Especially this part might be of interest for you

When the user calls Spark.connect(), the user code will be blocked, and the Core will attempt to negotiate a connection. This connection will block until either the Core connects to the Cloud or an interrupt is fired that calls Spark.disconnect()

How much “blocking” are you prepared to accept?
Neither way will come without delay/blocking of your active code.

[Glenn]

I also found that WiFi.connect() blocked, preventing loop() processing. In my case I had a button which when long pressed would turn power off and I discovered that when I lost the WiFi connection and attempted to connect, I could not turn off the power!

In my case I moved much of my non-network related tasks into a timer callback since timers continue to run fine when the loop is blocked in WiFi.connect(). I would suggest augmenting the documentation to indicate it’s a blocking call.