start() [2/4]

static process xtd::diagnostics::process::start ( const xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info &  start_info )

static

Starts the process resource that is specified by the parameter containing process start information (for example, the file name of the process to start) and associates the resource with a new xtd::diagnostics::process component.

Parameters

The	xtd::diagnostics::process_start_ifo that contains the information that is used to start the process, including the file name and any command-line arguments.

Returns

A new xtd::diagnostics::process that is associated with the process resource. Note that a new process that's started alongside already running instances of the same process will be independent from the others. In addition, Start may return a xtd::diagnostics::process with its xtd::diagnostics::process::has_exited property already set to true. In this case, the started process may have activated an existing instance of itself and then exited.

Exceptions

xtd::invalid_operation_exception

No file name was specified in the startInfo parameter's xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info::file_name property.

Examples

Shows how to launch process.

#include <xtd/forms/application>
#include <xtd/forms/button>
#include <xtd/forms/button_images>
#include <xtd/forms/form>
#include <xtd/forms/vertical_layout_panel>
#include <xtd/diagnostics/process>
#include <xtd/invalid_operation_exception>
 
using namespace xtd;
using namespace xtd::diagnostics;
using namespace xtd::io;
using namespace xtd::forms;
 
class main_form : public form {
public:
  main_form() {
    text("Process form example");
    controls().push_back(layout_panel);
    client_size({350, 540});
    
    layout_panel.controls().push_back_range({xtd_web_button, write_mail_button, open_home_folder_button, open_readme_txt_file_button, open_gammasoft_png_file_button, open_calculator_button});
    layout_panel.dock(dock_style::fill);
    layout_panel.control_layout_style(xtd_web_button, {size_type::auto_size, true});
    layout_panel.control_layout_style(write_mail_button, {size_type::auto_size, true});
    layout_panel.control_layout_style(open_home_folder_button, {size_type::auto_size, true});
    layout_panel.control_layout_style(open_readme_txt_file_button, {size_type::auto_size, true});
    layout_panel.control_layout_style(open_gammasoft_png_file_button, {size_type::auto_size, true});
    layout_panel.control_layout_style(open_calculator_button, {size_type::auto_size, true});
    
    xtd_web_button.image(button_images::from_name("text-html", drawing::size(64, 64)));
    xtd_web_button.image_align(content_alignment::middle_left);
    xtd_web_button.text("Open xtd website...");
    xtd_web_button.click += [] {
      process::start("https://gammasoft71.github.io/xtd");
    };
    
    write_mail_button.image(button_images::from_name("document-send", drawing::size(64, 64)));
    write_mail_button.image_align(content_alignment::middle_left);
    write_mail_button.text("Write mail...");
    write_mail_button.click += [] {
      process::start("mailto:gammasoft71@gmail.com?subject=Hi%20Gammasoft71&body=xtd%20is%20a%20great%20project.%0D%0A%20");
    };
    
    open_home_folder_button.image(button_images::from_name("folder-home", drawing::size(64, 64)));
    open_home_folder_button.image_align(content_alignment::middle_left);
    open_home_folder_button.text("Open home folder...");
    open_home_folder_button.click += [] {
      process::start(environment::get_folder_path(environment::special_folder::home));
    };
    
    open_readme_txt_file_button.image(button_images::from_name("text-x-generic", drawing::size(64, 64)));
    open_readme_txt_file_button.image_align(content_alignment::middle_left);
    open_readme_txt_file_button.text("Open \"readme.txt\" file...");
    open_readme_txt_file_button.click += [] {
      file::write_all_text(path::combine(path::get_temp_path(), "readme.txt"), "Tests open file \"readme.txt\" with xtd::diagnostics::process class.\n");
      process::start(path::combine(path::get_temp_path(), "readme.txt"));
    };
    
    open_gammasoft_png_file_button.image(button_images::from_name("image-x-generic", drawing::size(64, 64)));
    open_gammasoft_png_file_button.image_align(content_alignment::middle_left);
    open_gammasoft_png_file_button.text("Open \"gammasoft.png\" file...");
    open_gammasoft_png_file_button.click += [] {
      images::from_name("gammasoft", drawing::size(512, 512)).save(path::combine(path::get_temp_path(), "gammasoft.png"));
      process::start(process_start_info {"gammasoft.png"}.working_directory(path::get_temp_path()));
    };
    
    open_calculator_button.image(button_images::from_name("accessories-calculator", drawing::size(64, 64)));
    open_calculator_button.image_align(content_alignment::middle_left);
    open_calculator_button.text("Launch Calculator...");
    open_calculator_button.click += [] {
      if (environment::os_version().is_windows()) process::start(process_start_info {"calc"}.use_shell_execute(false));
      else if (environment::os_version().is_macos()) process::start(process_start_info {"Calculator"});
      else if (environment::os_version().is_linux()) process::start(process_start_info {"gnome-calculator"}.use_shell_execute(false));
      else throw invalid_operation_exception("Calculator application unknown.");
    };
  }
  
private:
  vertical_layout_panel layout_panel;
  button xtd_web_button;
  button write_mail_button;
  button open_home_folder_button;
  button open_readme_txt_file_button;
  button open_gammasoft_png_file_button;
  button open_calculator_button;
};
 
auto main() -> int {
  xtd::forms::application::run(main_form());
}

Remarks

Use this overload to start a process resource by specifying a xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info instance. The overload associates the resource with a new xtd::diagnostics::process object.

This overload lets you start a process without first creating a new xtd::diagnostics::process instance. Using this overload with a xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info parameter is an alternative to the explicit steps of creating a new xtd::diagnostics::process instance, setting its xtd::diagnostics::process::start_info properties, and calling Start for the xtd::diagnostics::process instance.

Using a xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info instance as the parameter lets you call xtd::diagnostics::process::start with the most control over what is passed into the call to start the process. If you need to pass only a file name or a file name and arguments, it is not necessary to create a new xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info instance, although that is an option. The only xtd::diagnostics::process::start_info property that must be set is the xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info::file_name property. The xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info::file_name property does not need to represent an executable file. It can be of any file type for which the extension has been associated with an application that is installed on the system. For example, the xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info::file_name property can have a .txt extension if you have associated text files with an editor, such as Notepad, or it can have a .doc extension if you have associated .doc files with a word processing tool, such as Microsoft Word.

Unlike the other overloads, the overload of xtd::diagnostics::process::start that has no parameters is not a static member. Use that overload when you have already created a xtd::diagnostics::process instance and specified start information (including the file name), and you want to start a process resource and associate it with the existing Process instance. Use one of the static overloads when you want to create a new Process component rather than start a process for an existing component. Both this overload and the overload that has no parameters allow you to specify the start information for the process resource by using a xtd::diagnostics::process_start_info instance.

If you have a path variable declared in your system using quotes, you must fully qualify that path when starting any process found in that location. Otherwise, the system will not find the path. For example, if c:\mypath is not in your path, and you add it using quotation marks: path = path%;"c:\mypath", you must fully qualify any process in c:\mypath when starting it.

Whenever you use xtd::diagnostics::process::start to start a process, you might need to close it or you risk losing system resources. Close processes using xtd::diagnostics::process::close_main_window or xtd::diagnostics::process::kill. You can check whether a process has already been closed by using its xtd::diagnostics::process::has_exited property.