How can I send keyboard input from unity (C#) to an .exe?

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Hi all.

I have a basic exe file which requires the pressing of a letter key, followed by the return key to input that selection. I am trying to control this input via a game I've built in Unity, specifically, via functions I call with key-presses.

Currently, when I press 'space', the following function is called which opens the exe:

public static void runStim ()

{
    ProcessStartInfo startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("C:\\Users\\Nathan\\Desktop\\stim_data_receiver.exe", "NO_STIMULATOR 1000000 REMOTE");
    startInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = false;
    startInfo.RedirectStandardError = false;
    startInfo.RedirectStandardInput = true;
    startInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
    startInfo.CreateNoWindow = false;

    Process stim = new Process();
    stim.StartInfo = startInfo;    
    stim.Start();
}

While this is open and back in the game, the return key calls a 'enterCommand' function. I need this to write a letter to the program in the same way you can when the exe is opened on it's own. I haven't been successful in this.

I have been advised that my tried methods (below) try to send data to the process by writing to the exe file itself and not the input stream of the process - can anyone help me achieve this?

I should mention that my method does work with writing a string to a txt file.

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.

What I have tried:

public static void enterCommand()

{
    using (StreamWriter outputfile = new StreamWriter("C:\\Users\\Nathan\\Desktop\\stim_data_receiver.exe", true))
    {
        outputfile.Write("%/Hello");
    }
}

public static void enterCommand()

{
    StreamWriter w;
    w = new StreamWriter(@"C:\\Users\\Nathan\\Desktop\\stim_data_receiver.exe");
    w.WriteLine("hello");
}

Posted 11-Aug-16 3:10am

Member 12681347

Updated 11-Aug-16 3:38am

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Richard Deeming · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-11T03:38:00

You need to write the command to the StandardInput property of the Process instance:

C#

ProcessStartInfo startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo("C:\\Users\\Nathan\\Desktop\\stim_data_receiver.exe", "NO_STIMULATOR 1000000 REMOTE");
startInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = false;
startInfo.RedirectStandardError = false;
startInfo.RedirectStandardInput = true;
startInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
startInfo.CreateNoWindow = false;

Process stim = Process.Start(startInfo);
stim.StandardInput.WriteLine("hello");

If you need to send input from a different method, then you'll need to store the Process instance in a field:

C#

private static Process _stim;

public static void runStim()
{
    ...
    _stim = Process.Start(startInfo);
}

public static void enterCommand()
{
    if (_stim != null && !_stim.HasExited)
    {
        _stim.StandardInput.WriteLine("hello");
    }
}