How to run a .bat with C#

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Hey so I'm brand new, in school, barely know anything. As practice I'm trying to make a little WPF app that lets me open hulu, netflix or crunchyroll via chrome. I'm wanting to use simple batch files to open the website, but I can't seem to get the batch file to run on button click. However I keep getting told that the batch file doesn't exist, despite it being right in the project folder. What assuredly obvious thing am I doing wrong?

What I have tried:

namespace And_Chill
{

    public partial class MainWindow : Window
    {
        public MainWindow()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
        private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            Process.Start(Netflix_run.bat);
        }

    }

Posted 3-Nov-21 15:23pm

Paul Conn

Updated 3-Nov-21 18:35pm

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phil.o · Accepted Answer · 2021-11-03T18:35:00

Solution 1

Try

C#

private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
   string filename = "Netflix_run.bat";
   string parameters = $"/k \"{filename}\"";
   Process.Start("cmd", parameters);
}

Explanation:
In your code, you did not put Netflix_run.bat between double quotes. I'm surpised this would compile, unless you define a Netflix_run class having a string property named bat.
Moreover, .bat files are not executable files which can be launched directly. You have to use the command processor (cmd.exe) to execute a shell script.

The line string parameters = $"/k \"{filename}\""; is building the string /k "Netflix_run.bat"

Posted 3-Nov-21 18:35pm

phil.o

Updated 3-Nov-21 18:53pm

v2

Comments

Paul Conn 4-Nov-21 0:43am

Ok so I wrote this, wasn't sure what to put in place of parameters and so I put the filename variable, however all it does is open command prompt. Also, would you mind explaining what the fourth line you have there does?
string args = $"/k \"{filename}\"";

phil.o 4-Nov-21 0:51am

Oups sorry that is an error from my part. Please see update solution.
The line you are referring to is just building pararameters variable, except I did not name it well...)

Paul Conn 4-Nov-21 1:00am

Okay I get it! Thanks a bunch man, still didn't work, I got an error within CMD this time saying the Netflix_Run.bat couldn't be found, however I changed the variable filename to "start chrome Netflix.com and it simply did that through cmd, which totally works.

phil.o 4-Nov-21 1:17am

This has something to do with the current working directory. The .bat file has to be in the same folder as the executable running that code. Or, you have to pass the full path to the .bat file. Remember to escape the backslashes if you are writing a path; or use the verbatim-string modifier.

// Escaped version
string filename = "C:\\Users\\Paul\\Documents\\Netflix_run.bat";

// Verbatim version
string filename = @"C:\Users\Paul\Documents\Netflix_run.bat";

BillWoodruff 4-Nov-21 9:17am

+5