How Can I Execute Command Lines in C# and Capture Their Output?

Integrating External Tools with C#: Executing Command Lines and Capturing Output

C# offers robust capabilities for interacting with external command-line applications. A common use case involves running a comparison tool (like DIFF) and displaying the results within a C# application. This guide details the process.

The first step involves creating a Process object, disabling shell execution, and enabling standard output redirection:

<code class="language-csharp">Process p = new Process();
p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;</code>

Next, specify the command-line program or batch file to execute (e.g., YOURBATCHFILE.bat):

<code class="language-csharp">p.StartInfo.FileName = "YOURBATCHFILE.bat";</code>

Start the process asynchronously; don't wait for completion before retrieving the output:

<code class="language-csharp">p.Start();</code>

Retrieve the standard output using ReadToEnd(), then wait for the process to finish:

<code class="language-csharp">string output = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
p.WaitForExit();</code>

The output string now holds the results from the command-line execution, ready for display or further processing within your C# application.

This approach, based on Microsoft's MSDN documentation, provides a reliable method for executing command-line programs and retrieving their output in C#.

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