[Import] How can I run another application or batch file from my Visual C #. Net code?

Posted by: Duncan macenzie, msdn
This post applies to Visual C #. NET 2002/2003

Suppose you want to run a command line application, open up another windows program, or even bring up the default web browser or email program...How can you do this from your C # code?

The answer for all of these examples is the same, you can use the classes and methods in system. Diagnostics. Process to accomplish these tasks and more.

Example 1.Running a command line application, without concern for the results:

Private VoidSimplerun_click (ObjectSender, system. eventargs E){
System. Diagnostics. process. Start (@"C: \ listfiles. Bat");
}
 

Example 2.Retrieving the results and waiting until the process stops (running the process synchronously ):

 Private    Void  Runsyncandgetresults_click (  Object  Sender, system. eventargs e ){
System. Diagnostics. processstartinfo psi =
  New  System. Diagnostics. processstartinfo (@  "C: \ listfiles. Bat"  );
PSI. redirectstandardoutput =  True ;
PSI. windowstyle = system. Diagnostics. processwindowstyle. hidden;
PSI. useshellexecute =  False  ;
System. Diagnostics. Process listfiles;
Listfiles = system. Diagnostics. process. Start (PSI );
System. Io. streamreader myoutput = listfiles. standardoutput;
Listfiles. waitforexit (2000 );
   If  (Listfiles. hasexited)
{
  String  Output = myoutput. readtoend ();
  This . Processresults. Text = output;
}
} 

 Example 3.Displaying a URL using the default browser on the user's machine:

 
Private VoidLaunchill_click (ObjectSender, system. eventargs e ){
 StringTargetUrl = @Http://www.duncanmackenzie.net;
System. Diagnostics. process. Start (TargetUrl );
}
 

In my opinion, you are much better off following the third example for URLs, as opposed to executing IE with the URL as an argument. the code shown for example 3 will launch the user's default browser, which may or may not be Ie; you are more likely to provide the user with the experience they want and you will be taking advantage of the browser that is most likely to have up-to-date connection information.

C # code download available from http://www.duncanmackenzie.net/Samples/default.aspx

By the way, this post is a simple portAn earlier vb faq post... Just in case you thought you had seen it already in your feeds...

Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/csharpfaq/archive/2004/06/01/146375.aspx