Execute multiple command lines with the same process using .NET

Question

I'm trying to execute multiple commands without create a new process each time. Basically, I want to start the DOS command shell, switch to the MySQL command shell, and execute a command. Here's how I am calling the procedure (also below). Also, how do I handle the "\"'s in the command?

ExecuteCommand("mysql --user=root --password=sa casemanager", 100, false);

ExecuteCommand(@"\. " + Environment.CurrentDirectory + @"\MySQL\CaseManager.sql", 100, true);

private void ExecuteCommand(string Command, int Timeout, Boolean closeProcess)
{
    ProcessStartInfo ProcessInfo;
    Process Process;

    ProcessInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("cmd.exe", "/C " + Command);
    ProcessInfo.CreateNoWindow = false;
    ProcessInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
    Process = Process.Start(ProcessInfo);
    Process.WaitForExit(Timeout);

    if (closeProcess == true) { Process.Close(); }
}

Answer 1

Couldn't you just write all the commands into a .cmd file in the temp folder and then execute that file?

Answer 2

You can redirect standard input and use a StreamWriter to write to it:

        Process p = new Process();
        ProcessStartInfo info = new ProcessStartInfo();
        info.FileName = "cmd.exe";
        info.RedirectStandardInput = true;
        info.UseShellExecute = false;

        p.StartInfo = info;
        p.Start();

        using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(p.StandardInput))
        {
            if (sw.BaseStream.CanWrite)
            {
                sw.WriteLine("mysql -u root -p");
                sw.WriteLine("mypassword");
                sw.WriteLine("use mydb;");
            }
        }

Answer 3

A command-line process such cmd.exe or mysql.exe will usually read (and execute) whatever you (the user) type in (at the keyboard).

To mimic that, I think you want to use the RedirectStandardInput property: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.processstartinfo.redirectstandardinput.aspx

Answer 4

You could also tell MySQL to execute the commands in the given file, like so:

mysql --user=root --password=sa casemanager < CaseManager.sql

Answer 5

Thanks guys. So either this call OR the code below should work right? It's still failing and I think it is because of the "\"'s in the file path.

ExecuteCommand("mysql --user=root --password=sa casemanager < " + Environment.CurrentDirectory + @"\MySQL\CaseManager.sql", 100, false);

OR....

 Process p = new Process();
 ProcessStartInfo info = new ProcessStartInfo();
 info.CreateNoWindow = false;
 info.FileName = "cmd.exe";
 info.RedirectStandardInput = true;
 info.UseShellExecute = false;

 p.StartInfo = info;
 p.Start();

 StreamWriter sw = p.StandardInput;

 if (sw.BaseStream.CanWrite)
    {
      sw.WriteLine("mysql -u root -p");
      sw.WriteLine("sa");
      sw.WriteLine(@"\. " + Environment.CurrentDirectory + @"\MySQL\CaseManager.sql");
     }

 sw.Close();
 p.WaitForExit();
 p.Close();

Answer 6

i cant get this to work.. Process p = new Process(); ProcessStartInfo info = new ProcessStartInfo(); info.FileName = "cmd.exe"; info.RedirectStandardInput = true; info.UseShellExecute = false;

    p.StartInfo = info;
    p.Start();

    using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(p.StandardInput))
    {
        if (sw.BaseStream.CanWrite)
        {
            sw.WriteLine("/k cd c:\\program files\\itms");
            sw.WriteLine("itmstransporter -k some other sitches etc..");
            sw.WriteLine("and some more switched here too and other cmd params");
        }
    }

However my main problem is that it fails at stream writer - could you explain what streamwriter is.

Thank you very much..

Olly