Sending messages between program instances

[rwakelan@gmail.com]

I am trying to create a program that implements the Singleton pattern.
If another instance of the program is created, I want to send the
information to the first instance and then close the new instance. I
have a couple of different ways of keeping the second instance from
opening up and they seem to work well. However, I am getting stuck
whenever I try to send information from the second instance to the
first instance. I have tried to set up .NET remoting using
IrcServerChanne l and IrcClientChanne l, but I am not sure this is right
because everything I see uses an external object and that doesn't make
sense for what I am doing. Is there any way to do what I need to do?

[fallenidol]

Re: Sending messages between program instances

what does the 2nd instance need to send to first instance and why?

<rwakelan@gmail .comwrote in message
news:1162413209 .820088.137510@ h48g2000cwc.goo glegroups.com.. .

>I am trying to create a program that implements the Singleton pattern.
If another instance of the program is created, I want to send the
information to the first instance and then close the new instance. I
have a couple of different ways of keeping the second instance from
opening up and they seem to work well. However, I am getting stuck
whenever I try to send information from the second instance to the
first instance. I have tried to set up .NET remoting using
IrcServerChanne l and IrcClientChanne l, but I am not sure this is right
because everything I see uses an external object and that doesn't make
sense for what I am doing. Is there any way to do what I need to do?
>

[Claus Konrad [MCSD]]

RE: Sending messages between program instances

You might want to take a look at the Mutex class for system wide singletons.

--
rgds.
/Claus Konrad
MCSD.NET (C#)


"rwakelan@gmail .com" wrote:

I am trying to create a program that implements the Singleton pattern.
If another instance of the program is created, I want to send the
information to the first instance and then close the new instance. I
have a couple of different ways of keeping the second instance from
opening up and they seem to work well. However, I am getting stuck
whenever I try to send information from the second instance to the
first instance. I have tried to set up .NET remoting using
IrcServerChanne l and IrcClientChanne l, but I am not sure this is right
because everything I see uses an external object and that doesn't make
sense for what I am doing. Is there any way to do what I need to do?
>
>

[Marc Gravell]

Re: Sending messages between program instances

A bit like this? Rather that a Mutex (which would also work), this relies on
only being able to bind one server to the port.

using System;
using System.Runtime. Remoting.Channe ls;
using System.Runtime. Remoting;
using System.Runtime. Remoting.Channe ls.Ipc;

class Program
{
static void Main(string[] appArgs)
{
string message = string.Join("|" , appArgs);
if (RemoteMessage. StartServer())
{ // new instance; start main app

RemoteMessage.M essageReceived += delegate(object sender,
RemoteMessage.R emoteMessageEve ntArgs remoteArgs)
{
Console.WriteLi ne("Received: " + remoteArgs.Mess age);
};
Console.WriteLi ne("Startup: " + message);
Console.WriteLi ne("Press [Return] to end server");
Console.ReadLin e();
}
else
{ // already running; forward the message
RemoteMessage.S endMessage(mess age);
Console.WriteLi ne("Forwarded: " + message);
}
}

}

public static class RemoteMessage
{

public static event EventHandler<Re moteMessageEven tArgs>
MessageReceived ;

private static void OnMessageReceiv ed(string message)
{
EventHandler<Re moteMessageEven tArgshandler = MessageReceived ;
if (handler != null)
{
handler(typeof( RemoteMessage), new
RemoteMessageEv entArgs(message ));
}
}

public class RemoteMessageEv entArgs : EventArgs
{
public readonly string Message;
public RemoteMessageEv entArgs(string message)
{
Message = message;
}
}
public sealed class RemoteAgent : ContextBoundObj ect
{
public void ProcessMessage( string message)
{
RemoteMessage.O nMessageReceive d(message);
}
}

private readonly static object _syncLock = new object();
private static object SyncLock { get { return _syncLock; } }
private static int _port = 32561;
public static int Port
{
get { lock (SyncLock) { return _port; } }
set { lock (SyncLock) { _port = value; } }
}

private static string _app = "Anon";
public static string App
{
get { lock (SyncLock) { return _app; } }
set
{
if (value == null) throw new ArgumentNullExc eption("App");
lock (SyncLock)
{
_app = value;
}
}
}

public static bool StartServer()
{
try
{
int port = Port;
string app = App;
if (ChannelService s.GetChannel("i pc") == null)
{
ChannelServices .RegisterChanne l(new IpcChannel("127 .0.0.1:"
+ port.ToString() ), false);
}

WellKnownServic eTypeEntry serviceType = new
WellKnownServic eTypeEntry(type of(RemoteAgent) , app,
WellKnownObject Mode.Singleton) ;
RemotingConfigu ration.Register WellKnownServic eType(serviceTy pe);

return true;

}
catch (Exception e)
{
return false; // server already running
}

}

public static void SimulateMessage (string message)
{
OnMessageReceiv ed(message);
}

public static bool SendMessage(str ing message, string server, string
app, int port)
{
bool localChannel;
IChannel channel = ChannelServices .GetChannel("ip c");
localChannel = channel == null;

string uri = string.Format(" ipc://{2}:{0}/{1}", port, app, server);

if (localChannel)
{
channel = new IpcChannel();
ChannelServices .RegisterChanne l(channel, false);
}
try
{
if
(RemotingConfig uration.IsWellK nownClientType( typeof(RemoteAg ent)) == null)
{
WellKnownClient TypeEntry serviceType = new
WellKnownClient TypeEntry(typeo f(RemoteAgent), uri);
RemotingConfigu ration.Register WellKnownClient Type(serviceTyp e);

}
RemoteAgent agent =
(RemoteAgent)Ac tivator.GetObje ct(typeof(Remot eAgent), uri);
try
{
agent.ProcessMe ssage(message);
return true;
}
catch
{
return false;
}
}
finally
{
if (localChannel)
{
ChannelServices .UnregisterChan nel(channel);
}
}
}
public static bool SendMessage(str ing message)
{
return SendMessage(mes sage, "127.0.0.1" , App, Port);
}
}