C# Console Application uses command line, command does not execute

Question

I'm using a console application and C# to execute some AWS (S3) CLI commands. I thought I had it working, because most of the commands execute just fine. But the last command is sync, and it doesn't work. But I know the command itself is correct, because a copy-paste into a command line window works just fine. Below is what I have so far:

String commands = "echo echo & echo echo"; 
commands += " & aws s3 ls s3://bbbbbb";
commands += " & aws s3 sync C:\test\test2 s3://bbbbbb"; //this is the line that doesn't execute
//make this to use with a Process
ProcessStartInfo commandsToRun = new ProcessStartInfo("cmd", @"/c " + commands);
//make the Process and run it
Process process = new Process();
process.StartInfo = commandsToRun;
process.Start();

I don't have any errors or any clues as to what's going on, I just don't get output from the last command, and if I check with ls or a Cloudberry Explorer, I can see that nothing has happened. Can anybody tell me what's going on here? Thanks!

Is just one command, or several? Do you need to insert some newlines? — Robert Harvey
– Robert Harvey, Commented Aug 14, 2014 at 18:05
The working directory shouldn't matter, since the pathnames given are absolute. — senschen
– senschen, Commented Aug 14, 2014 at 18:10
it's several, but I don't know that I need newlines. both echo commands and the ls work just fine without them. — senschen
– senschen, Commented Aug 14, 2014 at 18:12

Honza Brestan · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-14 18:10:11Z

4

If your example is what you really use, I would blame C# string escaping. "\t" in your path will translate as horizontal tab. Use verbatim string (like you do in the ProcessStartInfo)

commands += @" & aws s3 sync C:\test\test2 s3://bbbbbb";

Or escape the backslashes

commands += " & aws s3 sync C:\\test\\test2 s3://bbbbbb";

answered Aug 14, 2014 at 18:10

Honza Brestan

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1 Comment

senschen Over a year ago

Oh! I never thought about string escaping. That is what I'm really using, so the @ fixed the problem. Thank you!

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