Process Monitor Suggestions

[Me]

I am looking for some suggestions or sample code for an application the sits
in the system tray (a TSR) and then executes code that I specify when a
certain executable is launched. As an example, an TSR that pops a Dialog Box
up in the middle of the screen when winword.exe is launched.

Any ideas,
John

 

[Guest]

Ideally, you don't want a system tray program to sit there all the time & hog
valubule system resources, but a Windows servive that runs in the background
instead.

Here's a function that will tell you if MS Word is running:

Private Function IsWordRunning() As Boolean
Dim pWord As System.Diagnostics.Process() =
System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessesByName("winword")
If pWord.Length >= 1 Then
Return True
Else
Return False
End If
End Function

Note: 'Winword' is all lowercase

I hope this is of help to you

 

[John Crouse]

Thanks for the reply. I understand what your saying but I don't want to
check if something is already running, I want to be notified when it is
launched, so I can perform other actions upon launching of the application.

Thanks,

John

 

[Guest]

Yes, but if you create a Windows service that fires every few seconds then
you will be able to do exactly what you want & it will consume far less
memory than a system tray application

In the service 'OnStart' event, set the timer running. In the timer 'Tick'
event, call the function I supplied to check if MS Word is running...
Finally, on the 'OnStop' event, stop the timer.

If you install it as a 'Local' service then it will run with whoever is
logged on to the machine.

 

[John Crouse]

Have you ever played computer games? Most controllers, Microsoft Sidewinder,
Belkin Nostromo and all the newer ones have a Game Profiler that runs in the
system tray. When a certain executable, game, is launched it automatically
loads a profile (key mapping file) into the gaming controller. There could
be 10 or 15 different executables, in my case 35, each associated with a
different key mapping file that needs loaded into the controller when the
particular executable they are associated with is launched. This needs to
happen in a seconds time so an app that polls is probably not going to cut
it. An I still way off base here?

Thanks,
John

 

[Guest]

Quite honestly I never play games. I have been programming for 25 years & are
a professional programmer by trade.

For your key mappings: You could hold the info in a XML file, which could be
read quite easily.

If you still want to write a System Tray project then just add a module &
use it as your start up (sub main).

Call your form (hidden), but you tray icon visible & in the form load event
enable the timer.

Trigger your timer at a given interval. In the Timer Tick Event, do your
stuff.

 

[Me]

ok, we're on the same page a little better now. Getting back to my first
post, I'm still looking for sample code or a document/web page on how to
tell in code if an application is launched.

Thanks for your time,
John