Execute BATCH script in a programs memory

Question

I am currently faced with a problem, I need to execute a batch script within a programs memory (so it does not have to extract the batch file to a temporary location).

I am open to solutions in C# and C++

Any help would be appreciated

David Heffernan · Answer 1 · 2011-06-05T13:14:00.563

5

cmd.exe won't run a script from the memory of your process. The options which seem most obvious to me are:

Relax the constraint that stops you extracting the script to a temporary file.
Compress your script into a single line and use cmd.exe /C to execute it. You'll need to use the command separator &&.
Write your own batch command interpreter.
Use a different scripting language.

Options 3 and 4 aren't really very attractive! Option 1 looks pretty good to me but I don't know what's leading to your constraint.

edited Jun 05 '11 at 13:14

answered Jun 05 '11 at 13:03

David Heffernan

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Regarding option 2: the length of the command line is limited: http://stackoverflow.com/q/3205027/402322 – ceving Aug 09 '16 at 20:59

Nikolay · Answer 2 · 2012-12-12T10:06:55.240

In C# it's an easy way to use System.Diagnostics for the job. How!?

Basically, every batch command is an .exe file so you can start it in a separate process.

Some code:

        using System.Diagnostics;
        static void Main()
        {
           Process batch;

           batch = Process.Start("ping.exe", "localhost");
           batch.WaitForExit();
           batch.Close();

           batch = Process.Start("choice.exe", "");
           batch.WaitForExit();
           batch.Close();

           batch = Process.Start("ping.exe", "localhost -n 10");
           batch.WaitForExit();
           batch.Close();
      }

If you don't want to start every command in a separate process the solution is with a simple stream redirection.

      ProcessStartInfo startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo();
           startInfo.FileName = @"cmd.exe"; // Specify exe name.
           startInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
           startInfo.ErrorDialog = false;
           startInfo.RedirectStandardInput = true;

           //
           // Start the process.
           //
           Process process = Process.Start(startInfo);


           string[] batchFile = {"ping localhost",  "ping google.com -n 10", "exit"};

           int cmdIndex = 0;

           while (!process.HasExited) 
           {
               if (process.Threads.Count == 1 && cmdIndex < batchFile.Length)
               {
                   process.StandardInput.WriteLine(batchFile[cmdIndex++]);
               }
           }

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 05 '11 at 13:03

3

Open a pipe to the command shell and write the program code into that pipe. Here is an example: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;190351

answered Jun 05 '11 at 13:03

ceving

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Interesting idea. But is it really simpler than extracting the script into a temporary file? – Codo Jun 05 '11 at 13:05
5

The question was not what is simpler. The question was how to do it without writing the code into a file. – ceving Jun 05 '11 at 13:09
1

The link is dead. – TaW Jan 07 '20 at 14:05

score 1 · Answer 4 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:34

1

What's a good way to write batch scripts in C#?

edited May 23 '17 at 10:34

Community

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answered Jun 05 '11 at 13:05

tugberk

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Execute BATCH script in a programs memory

4 Answers4

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