[ICAT] Search window in separate thread

[Jay Rainey]

When performing a search that returns a mass amount of results (> 10k), or when loading a datafile that is huge (> 500Mb) into the workspace Mantid may at times freeze up.

To resolve this we should put the search window into a separate thread. This means that the user can use Mantid while a large search , or while loading a large file is being performed.

[Jay Rainey]

When performing a search that returns a mass amount of results (> 10k)

As ​paging has been implemented and only 100 results are returned at a time this is no longer the case.

when loading a datafile that is huge (> 500Mb) into the workspace Mantid may at times freeze up.

Having tested this with HUGE files from WISH this is no longer the case. However, when files are loaded there is no progress reporting, which has been noted in #8504.

To test

1. Download & install Mantid from develop.
2. Open Mantid & log into the catalog
3. Select WISH from the instrument list & perform a search. Note that 100 are displayed, and related page numbers are displayed for the remaining investigations. Thus, it no longer freezes on such searches (thanks to paging).
4. Select a recent investigation from WISH and click Load on a large datafile. Mantid should not freeze when loading the related file.

Note: there are no changes in this ticket. You just need to verify that the problems addressed in the description are no longer an issue.

[Martyn Gigg]

It has been observed already that loading is no longer synchronous and allows interaction with the interface. Paging will be tested & commented on in #8230.

[Stuart Campbell]

This ticket has been transferred to github issue ​9141