Controlling a console application from another application.

[Paulers]

Hello,

I am trying to manipulate a console based application from another
application for example I need to launch the console application,
provide it input and take the output from the console application and
use it within my application. Is this possible with vb.net? If so
could someone point me in the right direction. Thank you :)

[CMoya]

Quick thought. Have the console app monitor a txt file using the
FileSystemWatch er control. Pass (and return)commands to it via that file.
Just an idea.

The only other way would be via Remoting (the equivalent of old VB's ActiveX
Exe servers), which would allow you to call functions in the already running
process. Remoting is too tough to explain in a post. You can do a Google
search to find articles on it.

--
-C. Moya
http://www.cmoya.com

"Paulers" <Su*******@gmai l.comwrote in message
news:67******** *************** ***********@f3g 2000hsg.googleg roups.com...

Hello,

I am trying to manipulate a console based application from another
application for example I need to launch the console application,
provide it input and take the output from the console application and
use it within my application. Is this possible with vb.net? If so
could someone point me in the right direction. Thank you :)

[Paulers]

On Jan 10, 7:38 pm, "CMoya" <[e-mail] mwrote:

Quick thought. Have the console app monitor a txt file using the
FileSystemWatch er control. Pass (and return)commands to it via that file.
Just an idea.

The only other way would be via Remoting (the equivalent of old VB's ActiveX
Exe servers), which would allow you to call functions in the already running
process. Remoting is too tough to explain in a post. You can do a Google
search to find articles on it.

--
-C. Moyahttp://www.cmoya.com

"Paulers" <SuperG...@gmai l.comwrote in message

news:67******** *************** ***********@f3g 2000hsg.googleg roups.com...

Hello,

I am trying to manipulate a console based application from another
application for example I need to launch the console application,
provide it input and take the output from the console application and
use it within my application. Is this possible with vb.net? If so
could someone point me in the right direction. Thank you :)

Thanks for the reply. The only issue is that the console application
is not mine. I just want to be able to control it from my application
and use it's output.

[Michael D. Ober]

"Paulers" <Su*******@gmai l.comwrote in message
news:f1******** *************** ***********@c23 g2000hsa.google groups.com...

On Jan 10, 7:38 pm, "CMoya" <[e-mail] mwrote:

>Quick thought. Have the console app monitor a txt file using the
FileSystemWatc her control. Pass (and return)commands to it via that file.
Just an idea.

The only other way would be via Remoting (the equivalent of old VB's
ActiveX
Exe servers), which would allow you to call functions in the already
running
process. Remoting is too tough to explain in a post. You can do a
Google
search to find articles on it.

--
-C. Moyahttp://www.cmoya.com

"Paulers" <SuperG...@gmai l.comwrote in message

news:67******* *************** ************@f3 g2000hsg.google groups.com...

Hello,

I am trying to manipulate a console based application from another
application for example I need to launch the console application,
provide it input and take the output from the console application and
use it within my application. Is this possible with vb.net? If so
could someone point me in the right direction. Thank you :)

Thanks for the reply. The only issue is that the console application
is not mine. I just want to be able to control it from my application
and use it's output.

Take a look at input/output redirection. Before coding this, you can test
redirection from the command line.

Mike.

[Tom Shelton]

On Jan 10, 7:31*pm, Paulers <SuperG...@gmai l.comwrote:

Hello,

I am trying to manipulate a console based application from another
application for example I need to launch the console application,
provide it input and take the output from the console application and
use it within my application. Is this possible with vb.net? If so
could someone point me in the right direction. Thank you :)

You can use system.diagnost ics.process to start the app, and then
redirect it's input and output to streams in your process. Then you
can read and write to it.

--
Tom Shelton

[kimiraikkonen]

On Jan 11, 4:31 am, Paulers <SuperG...@gmai l.comwrote:

Hello,

I am trying to manipulate a console based application from another
application for example I need to launch the console application,
provide it input and take the output from the console application and
use it within my application. Is this possible with vb.net? If so
could someone point me in the right direction. Thank you :)

You can redirect command prompt's output to an Win32 app's object
within your project:

Here is a sample returns "dir" command prompt result into a textbox:

Place a textbox(textbox 1) and a button(button1) for these
demonstration:

Public Class Form1

Private Sub Button1_Click(B yVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e
As System.EventArg s) Handles Button1.Click
Dim start_info As New ProcessStartInf o("cmd.exe", "/c dir")
start_info.UseS hellExecute = False
start_info.Crea teNoWindow = True
start_info.Redi rectStandardOut put = True
start_info.Redi rectStandardErr or = True

' Make the process and set its start information.
Dim proc As New Process()
proc.StartInfo = start_info

' Start the process.
proc.Start()

' Attach to stdout and stderr.
Dim std_out As IO.StreamReader = proc.StandardOu tput()
' Display the results.
TextBox1.Text = std_out.ReadToE nd()
' Clean up.
std_out.Close()

proc.Close()
End Sub
End Class
Hope this helps.

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

"Paulers" <Su*******@gmai l.comschrieb:

I am trying to manipulate a console based application from another
application for example I need to launch the console application,
provide it input and take the output from the console application and
use it within my application. Is this possible with vb.net?

Yes, that's possible:

<URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/dotnet/samples/misc/RedirectConsole .zip>

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/dotnet/faqs/>