Start external process in C#

question:

How to execute external processes in a C# application, such as starting a web browser when a user interacts with a button?

answer:

C# provides two main ways to start external processes:

1. Static Process.Start method:

As Matt Hamilton suggested, the easiest way is to use the static Start method in the System.Diagnostics.Process class:

using System.Diagnostics;
...
Process.Start("process.exe");

This method has limited control, but is very convenient for fast start of processes.

2. Instantiate the Process class:

To manage processes more accurately, you can instantiate the Process class. This allows for various configurations including:

• Scheduling
• Window Appearance
• Wait for the process to complete

Example of using this method:

using System.Diagnostics;
...
Process process = new Process();
// 使用 StartInfo 属性配置进程。
process.StartInfo.FileName = "process.exe";
process.StartInfo.Arguments = "-n";
process.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Maximized;
process.Start();
process.WaitForExit();// 在此处等待进程退出。

This method allows more precise control of external processes, thus enabling various customization options.