How Can I Achieve Asynchronous Process Execution in .NET?

Asynchronous Process Execution in .NET

The Process.Start() method allows programmers to initiate the execution of external applications or batch files, but lacks asynchronous support. This limitation can be inconvenient when working with console applications that utilize the async/await pattern.

Fortunately, there are workarounds to achieve asynchronous process execution. While Process.Start() solely initiates the process, subsequent execution is handled outside of the async/await paradigm.

If the intention is merely to start the process without waiting for its completion, one can employ the following approach:

void async RunCommand()
{
    await Task.Run(() => Process.Start("command to run"));
}

However, if the desired behavior involves asynchronously waiting for the process to finish, the Exited event and a TaskCompletionSource can be combined:

static Task<int> RunProcessAsync(string fileName)
{
    var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<int>();

    var process = new Process
    {
        StartInfo = { FileName = fileName },
        EnableRaisingEvents = true
    };

    process.Exited += (sender, args) =>
    {
        tcs.SetResult(process.ExitCode);
        process.Dispose();
    };

    process.Start();

    return tcs.Task;
}

By using the above technique, the main thread can asynchronously wait for the process to complete, enabling seamless integration with other asynchronous operations.

The above is the detailed content of How Can I Achieve Asynchronous Process Execution in .NET?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!