Multi Application Communication

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Guest

Hello

I have two Windows forms applications that both access the same set of data from a database. What I would like to have is that these two programs be seperate, however if application #2 is running and the user clicks on an button in application #1, that application #1 fires an event that application #2 can pick up and pass data which would be the ID number of the record in the database. What is the easiest way to do this with the .NET Framework? I don't want to have to setup a server or service if possible

Thanks.
 
Many methods. However, the .NET way to do things is remoting. Remoting
isn't easy by any stroke of genious though. The clipboard is another
possibility
and you can set up clipboard viewers (your apps) and publish data that way.
Not the most efficient I'd say. Finally, you have good old fashioned windows
messages under a WinForms environment. This is probably the best way to
get something simple going, but more complex data types become a bit harder.

What you are looking for here is cross-process communication. In order for
this to work, managed processes need channels to talk on. Again, that is
remoting.
Of course Windows also provides channels and that is where the windows
messaging sub-system comes in.


--
Justin Rogers
DigiTec Web Consultants, LLC.
Blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/justin_rogers


virtualswp said:
Hello,

I have two Windows forms applications that both access the same set of data
Click to expand...
from a database. What I would like to have is that these two programs be
seperate, however if application #2 is running and the user clicks on an button
in application #1, that application #1 fires an event that application #2 can
pick up and pass data which would be the ID number of the record in the
database. What is the easiest way to do this with the .NET Framework? I don't
want to have to setup a server or service if possible.
 
Thanks Justin, that gets me going on the right track, I will take a look at those few ideas

----- Justin Rogers wrote: ----

Many methods. However, the .NET way to do things is remoting. Remotin
isn't easy by any stroke of genious though. The clipboard is anothe
possibilit
and you can set up clipboard viewers (your apps) and publish data that way
Not the most efficient I'd say. Finally, you have good old fashioned window
messages under a WinForms environment. This is probably the best way t
get something simple going, but more complex data types become a bit harder

What you are looking for here is cross-process communication. In order fo
this to work, managed processes need channels to talk on. Again, that i
remoting
Of course Windows also provides channels and that is where the window
messaging sub-system comes in


--
Justin Roger
DigiTec Web Consultants, LLC
Blog: http://weblogs.asp.net/justin_roger


virtualswp said:
Hello
Click to expand...
from a database. What I would like to have is that these two programs b
seperate, however if application #2 is running and the user clicks on an butto
in application #1, that application #1 fires an event that application #2 ca
pick up and pass data which would be the ID number of the record in th
database. What is the easiest way to do this with the .NET Framework? I don'
want to have to setup a server or service if possible
 
If there is only one event, or a very few events, that you want to handle
this way, you could just use the Win32 API SendMessage method. See
http://www.thescarms.com/vbasic/PassString.asp for an example of how to do
it in VB. It can easily be adapted to VB.Net or C#.

Another simple way to do it is to use MessageQueues. You can spawn a
separate thread on Application #2 to listen for a message and respond when
it comes. This is probably the simplest solution - probably the fewest
lines of code to implement - but you have to install the MessageQueue
Service in your Windows Components section of Add/Remove Programs.

Good luck,

Dale
 
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