Default path for Windows Service

[Anil Gupte]

I wrote my Windows Service first as a regular Windows Exe because it is
easier to debug. In that I used

AppDir = Application.Exe cutablePath.Sub string(0,
Application.Exe cutablePath.Las tIndexOf("\")) ' Where this application
Excutable sits

Now, when I am converting it to a Service, what path can I use? Or can I
specify a path in the service to always use as a data path? I would prefer
the former because I do not know the layout of the target computer.

--
Anil Gupte
www.keeninc.net
www.icinema.com

[Anil Gupte]

How do I put a Sleep(15000) in there? Do I need to create a thread and then
use thread.sleep()?

Thanx,
--
Anil Gupte
www.keeninc.net
www.icinema.com

"Phill W." <p-.-a-.-w-a-r-d-@-o-p-e-n-.-a-c-.-u-kwrote in message
news:fc******** **@south.jnrs.j a.net...

Anil Gupte wrote:

>1. My service will not even start. I tried putting a msgbox in the
OnStart event to see if would do anything at all, but even that did not
show. That means it is not even reaching the OnStart event.

Not necessarily.
If a Windows Service displays a MsgBox, it gets shown on a "virtual
desktop" that is reserved for system processes. No user can get to see
this "desktop", so the service process would seem to hang (this is why ASP
doesn't have a MsgBox function).
At least it used to - Windows may be "clever" enough now to catch the
MsgBox and write it into the Event log instead.

>I am sure it will run my main process fine if it gets there or at least
I can start debugging - question is how to make it get there.

Put a Sleep(15000) into OnStart. That will give you enough time to attach
the debugger to the running [service] process when you start it.

>2. I do have a timer in the code, but I am not sure I want to kill it. I
want the timer to start the main process every 10 minutes.

And if your "real" processing takes longer than 10 minutes, what then?
Do you want two instances of the routine running at the same time?
it will.

Personally, I /only/ use the Timer to "sidestep" out of OnStart and to
launch a continuously running process with Sleep call in it for the "gaps"
between bouts of doing stuff. I've had problems where a missing dependent
assembly can cause the Timer-invoked routine to fail to load but, since
this method is invoked from the innards of the Framework, there's no easy
way to catch the resulting Exception.
With a coded loop, a simple Try .. Catch does the job.

>Another thing, do I have to start the timer in the OnStart even of
the service?

Yes. Start and Stop timers explicitly; that way you can clearly see
what's going on.

HTH,
Phill W.

[Phill W.]

Anil Gupte wrote:

How do I put a Sleep(15000) in there? Do I need to create a thread and then
use thread.sleep()?

You main process /is/ a thread.

System.Threadin g.Thread.Sleep( 15000 )

is all you need.

HTH,
Phill W.

[Anil Gupte]

Thanx! I fixed this problem anyway, but thanx for teaching me something new
(even though it is obvious to you, it is new to me :-))

--
Anil Gupte
www.keeninc.net
www.icinema.com

"Phill W." <p-.-a-.-w-a-r-d-@-o-p-e-n-.-a-c-.-u-kwrote in message
news:fc******** **@south.jnrs.j a.net...

Anil Gupte wrote:

>How do I put a Sleep(15000) in there? Do I need to create a thread and
then use thread.sleep()?

You main process /is/ a thread.

System.Threadin g.Thread.Sleep( 15000 )

is all you need.

HTH,
Phill W.