How do I get an app to run from a combox

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This is perhaps the one of the most unusual request for help that I can imagine, and I hope with bated breath you are able to help.

I am currently using Visual Studio 2013 Express edition, and using C#.

I am developing a program that can run installers loaded into a combobox. This makes it a lot tidier than having a lot of buttons for individual installers. Also this gives a distributor to have installers he wishes to distribute, and use this program to run them.

So far I've succeeded in getting the installers to load into their respective combo boxes, and have no issues here, but the problem is getting a loaded installer to execute (run) from the combo.

The code I used to try to get the installers to run is:

C#

Using System.Diagnostics;

private void cmbBibles_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Process prcBibles=new Process();

    prcBibles.StartInfo=new ProcessStartInfo(cmbBibles.SelectedItem);
    prcBibles.StartInfo.UseShellExecute=true;
    prcBibles.Start();
}

The above code is a solution I found on StackOverflow, and in VS help. But when running the program I get a heap of errors.

I hope you can help with some really good solutions to get this running.

Kind Regards,
Stephen.

Posted 22-Apr-15 13:22pm

Stephen8601

Updated 22-Apr-15 20:01pm

Maciej Los

v2

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Comments

ChrisCreateBoss 22-Apr-15 19:47pm

Did you try just with "Process.Start(cmbBibles.SelectedItem);" ?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 22-Apr-15 19:51pm

Amazing, isn't it?

Stephen8601 22-Apr-15 20:28pm

Hi Chris,
I did, and it really hated it, of which this message popped up and after entering the code:

"The best overload method match for 'System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo)' has some invalid arguments."

Here are some other things I've tried, and of which has failed.

prcBibles.StartInfo=new ProcessStartInfo("cmbBibles.SelectedItem");

prcBibles.StartInfo=new ProcessStartInfo(*.exe);
prcBibles.StartInfo=new ProcessStartInfo("*.exe");
prcBibles.StartInfo=new ProcessStartInfo(cmbBibles.SelectedItem. "*.exe");

And just a straight out System.Diagnostics.Process.Start which included all of the above, and failed.

So, with that, I simply cannot find an answer at the moment.

I also tried:

Private void cmbBibles_SelectionChangeCommitted(object sender, EventArgs e) using the same methods as before, and had no joy there.

So, at the moment I am really at a loss of what to do and where to go ahead.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 22-Apr-15 23:18pm

Of course, it should fail! How could you even come to the idea to write all that? ProcessStartInfo accepts file name, a string. I don't think you should even do any UI programming, processes, anything. You have no clue on the basics. So, you first need to learn the basics of programming, which is the best to do with simplest console-only applications.
—SA

Stephen8601 23-Apr-15 15:58pm

Hi Sergey,
I've never tried to get an app to run from a combobox before, and therefore this is new ground for me. I know one can open database and document type files from a dropdown combobox, as this is something I do quite regularly in the Bible program I use.

Having said that, I work with what I have, and I try to find solutions, and with that, I also ask for help to find a solution if I what I currently know doesn't work. We are all on a journey of which we can learn from one another, and sometimes the solutions comes from the most odd and unusual places, and even from people who aren't programmers, of which has happened to me. Its all part of that journey.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-Apr-15 17:56pm

No, this does not have to bea part of the journey. :-)
No matter, I can give you the solution immediately after you tell me exact full type name of "ComboBox". I just don't know which one do you mean. Is it so hard for you to tell me that?
—SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 22-Apr-15 19:52pm

Okay, I'll quickly tell you exactly what to do, but you need to answer one my question: what do you mean by "ComboBox"? Which one? Full type name, please.
—SA

Stephen8601 22-Apr-15 20:47pm

Hi Sergey,
A dropdown ComboBox used used for a Windows program.

Stephen.

Gideon van Dyk 22-Apr-15 21:16pm

And the content/values in said combobox?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 22-Apr-15 22:32pm

Type name?
—SA

Florian Braun 23-Apr-15 0:46am

Now you scared him

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-Apr-15 0:54am

Maybe; if so, this is indicative; and than it would be better not to waste time on it. Such questions from people who cannot give the type name hardly worth answering.

But I hope he will answer, and then helping would be pretty easy.
—SA

2 solutions

Solution 1

See https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.processstartinfo%28v=vs.110%29.aspx[^], and https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.diagnostics.process%28v=vs.110%29.aspx[^]. You need to check that you are providing valid parameter details to these methods.

Posted 22-Apr-15 21:44pm

Richard MacCutchan

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ChrisCreateBoss · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-23T09:23:00

I tried using Process.Start and it seems to be working fine.

C#

using System.Diagnostics; 
//...
string myEXE = cmbBibles.SelectedItem.ToString();
Process.Start(myEXE);

But the comboBox must have the full path of your executable file to run.
You can show just the names of the executable files by: Creating a List<string></string>, adding the full paths to it, and use Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(); to show only names in the comboBox.

Hope this helps - CCB