Access existing WPF app instance?

Question

Okay, here's my situation. I have a WPF app that I have created that also includes an application protocol handler so that the app can be opened from links on the web that opens the app with command-line parameters to pre-populate some information. All this is working.

What I would like to accomplish is this. If the user already has the application open, and they click another of these links, it will currently open a new instance of the app. What I would like to be able to is detect if an existing instance of the app running, and if so, send the appopriate values to that application instead of opening a new one.

I know how to check for the existence of an instace (I'm doing it in another application), but I can't figure out how to then send values to that application. Google hasn't been much help, and you guys have always been awesome. Thanks!

James

Answer 1

There are different solutions for interprocess communication in .NET/WPF. Take a look at this other post: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/953853/simple-ipc-mechanism-for-c-wpf-application-to-implement-app-cli

Answer 2

You should look at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/917883/c-how-to-single-instance-application-that-accepts-new-parameters.

I prefer the IsSingleInstance solution. Just look at Scott Hanselmans solution for IsSingleInstance.