Execute operating system commands

[skywalker74]

Hi everyone, how can i launch dos-like commands via c#??
for example in java i use Runtime.getRuntime().execute("command"



thanks...

 

[johnrbradley]

The best way to do this in C# in my opinion is using System.Diagnostics.Process, and you can use, for example

ArrayList ProcessList = new ArrayList();
ProcessList.Add(new Process());
  ((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.FileName = "myexecutable.exe";
  ((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count- 1]).StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
  ((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
  ((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).EnableRaisingEvents = true;
  ((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
  ((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).Exited += new EventHandler(Process_exited);
  ((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).Start();

//This is only if you want a process exited handler, remember, you _have_ to set .EnableRaisingEvents to true in order for this to work
private void Process_exited(object sender, System.EventArgs ea) 
{
  //Any processesing you want here
}

Thats just an example of psuedo-threading per-se storing the processes in an ArrayList, but you should be able to get the gyst of it from that.

If you don't want to store it in an ArrayList (which I doubt you do, go ahead and just remove the cast as (Process) and just use YourProcessName.StartInfo.etc etc)

Hope this helps,
Regards,
John

 

[johnrbradley]

If I had even read slightly, if you want to use dos commands just pipe them from cmd, like:

cmd | dir > my_test.txt | exit

Or something to that extent, just run the process with arguments.

Regards,
John

 

[skywalker74]

Ok johnrbradley, it seems that your code work fine, but if i try inserting the command posted after: cmd | dir > my_test.txt | exit

it gives the following error:
The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect
this is my code overall:

ArrayList ProcessList = new ArrayList();
ProcessList.Add(new Process());
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.FileName = "C:\\WINNT\\system32\\cmd.exe | dir > my_test.txt | exit";
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count- 1]).StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).EnableRaisingEvents = true;
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).Exited += new EventHandler(Process_exited);
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).Start();

 

[johnrbradley]

Ah, simple problem to correct, forgive me for forgetting to put it in the example:

((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.Arguments ="arg1 arg2 arg3";

Regards,
John

 

[johnrbradley]

{PS} And there is really no reason to even pipe to a file in the first place since you can redirect the standard output and error to any variable/component that you want. So if you were gonna use that method to retrieve data from the application that you ran, I suggest
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;

Then with the ExitHandler you would:

String stdout = ((Process)ProcessList[inc]).StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();

[or something]

Regards,
John

 

[skywalker74]

it doesn't work yet. Where should i put exactly, that line of code?

 

[johnrbradley]

((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.FileName = @"C:\WINNT\system32\cmd.exe";
((Process)ProcessList[ProcessList.Count-1]).StartInfo.Arguments = "| dir";

This _should_ work, though its off the top of my head, good luck.

Regards,
John