C#•2y ago

❔ Enumerating Running Processes

I am missing something, besides brain cells but what should I be returning if I want a ComboBox to have the list of Windows processes?

internal class ProcessHelpers
    {
        public static List<string> RunningProcessList = new();

        public static string GetRunningProcesses()
        {
            Process[] processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => (long)p.MainWindowHandle != 0).ToArray();

            foreach (Process process in processes)
            {
                RunningProcessList.Add(process.ProcessName);    
            }

            return List<string> RunningProcessList;
        }
    }

internal class ProcessHelpers
    {
        public static List<string> RunningProcessList = new();

        public static string GetRunningProcesses()
        {
            Process[] processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => (long)p.MainWindowHandle != 0).ToArray();

            foreach (Process process in processes)
            {
                RunningProcessList.Add(process.ProcessName);    
            }

            return List<string> RunningProcessList;
        }
    }

83 Replies

ero•2y ago

there is so much wrong here

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

? I thought List<T> would be good here, maybe not. Was making a task manager kind of thing for a tech app

Servator•2y ago

I would pass Processes to List instead of string then use comboBox.DisplayMember to show ProcessName

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

What do you mean?

Servator•2y ago

1 sec let me show you

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

I do have a List ok

ero•2y ago

you're using a GetX() method instead of a property; you're just constantly adding more things to the RunningProcessList without ever clearing it; you're not disposing the processes!!; your return syntax is completely gibberish; the above leads me to believe you're not even using a proper IDE, or have never done any kind of c# tutorial

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

I was following a tutorial on YT

ero•2y ago

your return type is also string, when RunningProcessList is a List<string>

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

as usual, should of used ChatGPT instead lol

ero•2y ago

jesus christ no also it's "should have"

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

it did help me solve a issue 2 days ago 🙂 w/o googling for 40 hrs sec i will check ms's site for process examples

Servator•2y ago

comboBox1.DataSource = Process.GetProcesses();

            comboBox1.DisplayMember = "ProcessName";

comboBox1.DataSource = Process.GetProcesses();

            comboBox1.DisplayMember = "ProcessName";

It just works

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Oh, that's ALL I needed? 😂

ero•2y ago

internal static class ProcessHelpers
{
    public static List<string> RunningProcesses
    {
        get
        {
            var ret = new List<string>();
            var processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != 0 && !p.HasExited);

            foreach (var process in processes)
            {
                ret.Add(process.ProcessName);
                process.Dispose();
            }

            return ret;
        }
    }
}

internal static class ProcessHelpers
{
    public static List<string> RunningProcesses
    {
        get
        {
            var ret = new List<string>();
            var processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != 0 && !p.HasExited);

            foreach (var process in processes)
            {
                ret.Add(process.ProcessName);
                process.Dispose();
            }

            return ret;
        }
    }
}

Servator•2y ago

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

ah the getter/setter stuff 🙂

ero•2y ago

you need to dispose of the processes

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Wait so which one do I need now?

ero•2y ago

otherwise you're building up more and more memory

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Hmm makes sense, garbage collection Ero's is easier, 2 lines 🙂 I will try both ways and see what one is effective , since i probably will grab the id too

Servator•2y ago

Using Property is okay but only returning ProcessName doesn't make sense Using DisplayMember and ValueMember is better

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Yes, I need ID too ok so use yours? i dont wanna have another stackoverflow day heh the large example doesnt work

Servator•2y ago

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Operator '!=' cannot be applied to operands of type 'IntPtr' and 'int'

Servator•2y ago

Servator•2y ago

Servator•2y ago

See I can get id Because i pass Process itself

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Wait so do I use the example they gave but use DataSource and MemberName?

ero•2y ago

no, you would have to do it a bit differently

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

What would I need to change?

  public static List<string> RunningProcess

        {
            get
            {
                var ret = new List<string>();
                var processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != 0 && !p.HasExited);

                foreach ( var process in processes )
                {
                    ret.Add(process.ProcessName);
                    process.Dispose();
                }

                return ret;
            }
        }

  public static List<string> RunningProcess

        {
            get
            {
                var ret = new List<string>();
                var processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != 0 && !p.HasExited);

                foreach ( var process in processes )
                {
                    ret.Add(process.ProcessName);
                    process.Dispose();
                }

                return ret;
            }
        }

class side

ero•2y ago

internal static class ProcessHelpers
{
    private static readonly List<Process> _processCache = new(16);

    public static List<Process> RunningProcesses
    {
        get
        {
            foreach (var process in _processCache)
            {
                process.Dispose();
            }

            _processCache.Clear();

            var processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != 0 && !p.HasExited);
            foreach (var process in processes)
            {
                _processCache.Add(process);
            }

            return _processCache;
        }
    }
}

internal static class ProcessHelpers
{
    private static readonly List<Process> _processCache = new(16);

    public static List<Process> RunningProcesses
    {
        get
        {
            foreach (var process in _processCache)
            {
                process.Dispose();
            }

            _processCache.Clear();

            var processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != 0 && !p.HasExited);
            foreach (var process in processes)
            {
                _processCache.Add(process);
            }

            return _processCache;
        }
    }
}

something like this it's not that pretty, but you have to dispose of the process objects

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

yes the example has that now var processes = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != 0 && !p.HasExited); this isnt going to work with IntPtr/int CS0019 Operator '!=' cannot be applied to operands of type 'IntPtr' and 'int'

ero•2y ago

yes it is, on .net 7, which you should be using

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Why 7? I'm on 6

Servator•2y ago

            comboBox1.DataSource = Process.GetProcesses()
                .Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != IntPtr.Zero)
                .ToArray();

            comboBox1.DisplayMember = "ProcessName";

            comboBox1.DataSource = Process.GetProcesses()
                .Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle != IntPtr.Zero)
                .ToArray();

            comboBox1.DisplayMember = "ProcessName";

ero•2y ago

because it's the most up to date...?

Servator•2y ago

Use IntPtr.Zero

MODiX•2y ago

Ero#1111

REPL Result: Success

IntPtr.Zero == 0

IntPtr.Zero == 0

Result: bool

True

True

Compile: 406.433ms | Execution: 28.379ms | React with ❌ to remove this embed.

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Yes but I need yo support Windows 7 still for some legacy people

ero•2y ago

no you don't

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

ero•2y ago

also???? .net 7 definitely works on win7

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

oh ok .net 7 it is how do I add it? I'm on VS 2022 Community

ero•2y ago

should just be in the installer

ero•2y ago

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

ty Wonder why VS 2022 is still Preview , or is that still a thing?

ero•2y ago

the preview is always gonna be ahead of stable preview and stable are different builds basically

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

I don't need to keep 2019 still right? I got both

ero•2y ago

nah you can uninstall that

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

ok as long as 2022 is stable enough then, np I have to relearn .NET now, 7 is new

ero•2y ago

there is basically no difference

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

Ah, just a new # then What is a good video tutorial to watch these days without selling my kidney? Tim Corey is cool but I don't have a job atm.

ero•2y ago

no clue. i've never used any tutorials

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

I appreciate the help regardless @Ero and @Samarichitane, thanks. 🙂 Updating VS 2022 and will remove 2019 too

Servator•2y ago

You can use

.Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle is not (nint)0);

.Where(p => p.MainWindowHandle is not (nint)0);

too

Core Dream Studios•2y ago

that would make sense, its similar to != 0 so i can understand it welp, time to learn .net 7 and WPF im happy to see WPF has the new tech where you can have source generators now makes stuff easier

jcotton42•2y ago

props like this are generally considered to be quite smelly it should be a method

ero•2y ago

why would that be? new list every time? too much work for 1 unit?

jcotton42•2y ago

do not do this getting a prop should not have side effects

ero•2y ago

what side effects would this possibly have?

jcotton42•2y ago

prop gets should be cheap, side-effect free, and the same value as last time unless something caused it to change diposing the processes returned by the last get of the prop

ero•2y ago

i don't get how that's bad

jcotton42•2y ago

you're also returning a private list, allowing it to be fucked with

ero•2y ago

i mean the whole class is internal i expect it to only be used by people who know what they're doing

jcotton42•2y ago

var procs = RunningProcesses;
// somewhere else
var procs2 = RunningProcesses;
// oops procs is now silently invalid, have fun debugging that

var procs = RunningProcesses;
// somewhere else
var procs2 = RunningProcesses;
// oops procs is now silently invalid, have fun debugging that

ero•2y ago

return it .AsReadOnly() for all i care

jcotton42•2y ago

doesn't matter code should be resilient

ero•2y ago

can't argue with that still just don't deem it a big deal is all

jcotton42•2y ago

it's bad code this would not pass even the thinnest of code reviews when I do a get on a property, I do not expect it to have surprising side effects

Mayor McCheese•2y ago

get should have zero side effects plus; there is an expectation of immediacy on a get

Servator•2y ago

What if with expression bodied property ?

jcotton42•2y ago

that's not any different

public string Foo { get { return "blah"; } }

public string Foo { get { return "blah"; } }

is the same as

public string Foo => "blah";

public string Foo => "blah";

Servator•2y ago

i guess u r right

clxs•2y ago

It would be less bad if you only disposed the processes which needed it, there's not much point of a cache if the entire thing is invalidated every use. Note, you don't really need to Dispose them. The finalizer will do that on GC. It's good to do so, but you won't leak if not

ero•2y ago

well, the idea i got from this was that yes, the whole point is that it will get invalidated every use; every time it gets called, it needs to re-get the processes, in case there are new ones, or ones that closed.

clxs•2y ago

If you wanted to be really safe a solution would be to wrap it in your own disposable container. Notepad code following

class DisposableList<T> : List<T>, IDisposable where T : IDisposable
{
    DisposableList(){}
    DisposableList(IEnumerable<T> items)
        : base(items)
    {
    }
    
    void Dispose() => this.ForEach(i => i?.Dispose());
}

DisposableList<Process> RunningProcesses => new(Process.GetProcesses());

using var processes = RunningProcesses;

class DisposableList<T> : List<T>, IDisposable where T : IDisposable
{
    DisposableList(){}
    DisposableList(IEnumerable<T> items)
        : base(items)
    {
    }
    
    void Dispose() => this.ForEach(i => i?.Dispose());
}

DisposableList<Process> RunningProcesses => new(Process.GetProcesses());

using var processes = RunningProcesses;