Controlling Python application with C#

Question

Hey, This issue was addressed before but not in this angle. I'm trying to control a Python application with C#. The application runs an unknown time and I need to hold the main C# application form until It "knows" when the Python application is done processing. I should mark that the Python Application has its own GUI which i'm trying to keep. So far, I've used:

ProcessStartInfo processStart= new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo(@app);
processStart.WindowStyle = System.Diagnostics.ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
processStart.UseShellExecute = false;
processStart.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
processStart.CreateNoWindow = true;
Process myProcess = Process.Start(processStart);

Then I send a couple of "SendKey" methods including some TAB and ENTER. Furthermore, as you can probably infer from the code I'm trying to make the entire Python process hidden – I did succeed in open\close the Python application but didn't succeed in controlling it at all. Any suggestions?

open-collar · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-18 13:49:15Z

1

Redirect stdin and the push characters in that way (rather than sendkeys)?

answered Feb 18, 2011 at 13:49

open-collar

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Michael Dillon · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-18 03:30:56Z

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Have you looked into IronPython - it allows you to execute python code from within you .NET application natively.

edited Feb 18, 2011 at 3:30

Michael Dillon

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answered Feb 17, 2011 at 23:15

Marco

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1 Comment

Michael Dillon Over a year ago

In fact, IronPython can be embedded in a C# application.

apiguy · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-18 06:26:12Z

0

SendKeys can only send keystrokes to the active application. Since you are forcing it to start without creating a window it can't receive the SendKeys.Send() messages. It sounds like what you really want is to use the functionality of the python code without presenting any UI from that application to your users.

You could approach this in one of 2 ways:

My first reccommendation is that you write a simple python script that imports the application you are trying to use, and invokes the functions inside the app that you need.

IF that won't work for you, you could allow the window to be created, then instantly set your application to be the foreground window using:

[DllImport("User32.dll")]
public static extern Int32 SetForegroundWindow(int hWnd);

public void ForceToFront()
{
    SetForegroundWindow(Handle.ToInt32());
}

then you could send keys to the now background window using Win32 APIs. There's a pretty good (although fairly old) example here: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/SendKeys.aspx

answered Feb 18, 2011 at 6:26

apiguy

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1 Comment

gilibi Over a year ago

I forgot to mention that the python application is an exe file. I guess the main issue that I've yet to understand is how would the C# "know" that the other application has finished processing. As for the hidden window problem I think I'll just minimize it for now.

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