Question

I have been task with (ha) creating an application that will allow the users to schedule a command line app we have with a parameter.

So the command line app takes an xml and “runs it”

So bottom line I either need to create a windows service or learn how to interact with the Task Scheduler service already running on the box (version 1 Xp /2003)

At first I though it would be easy have a service run and when a job is submitted, calculate the time between now and run and set up a timer to wait that amount of time. This is better then checking every minute if it’s time to run.

Were I hit a wall is I relized I do not know how to communicate with a running windows service. Except maybe create a file with details and have the service with a file watcher to load the file and modify the schedule.

So the underlying questions are how can I execute this psedo code

from client

 serviceThatIsRunning.Add(Job)

Or ineracting with the task schedule or creating .job files using c# 3.5

Edit:

To clarify I created a small sample to get my thoughts on “paper”

So I have a Job Class

public class Job
{
    #region Properties
    public string JobName { get; set; }
    public string JobXML { get; set; }
    private Timer _JobTimer;
    public Timer JobTimer
    {
        get
        {
            return _JobTimer;
        }
    }

    #endregion

    public void SetJobTimer(TimeSpan time)
    {
        if (_JobTimer != null)
        {
            _JobTimer.Dispose();
        }

        _JobTimer = new Timer(new TimerCallback(RunJob), null, time, time);

    }

    private void RunJob(Object state)
    {
        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(String.Format("The {0} Job would have ran with file {1}", JobName, JobXML));
    }

    public override string ToString()
    {
        return JobName;
    }

    public void StopTimer()
    {
        _JobTimer.Dispose();
    }
}

Now I need to create an App to house these Jobs that is constantly running, that is why I though of Windows Services, and then a Windows app to allow the user to work with the Job List.

So the question is if I create a Windows Service how do I interact with methods in that service so I can change the JobList, add, delete, change.

Here is a small windows app I created to show that the Job class does run. Interesting point, If I am doing this correctly, I do not add the Job to a listbox and the Add method exits the Job Timer portion still runs and does not get picked up by the Garbage Collector.

public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void btnAddJob_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Job job = new Job();

        job.JobName = txtJobName.Text;
        job.JobXML = txtJobXML.Text;
        job.SetJobTimer(new TimeSpan(0, 0, Convert.ToInt32(JobTime.Value)));

        // ??Even If I don't add the Job to a list or ListBox it seems 
        // ??to stay alive and not picked up by the GC            
        listBox1.Items.Add(job);
    }

    private void listBox1_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (listBox1.SelectedIndex > -1)
        {
            Job job = listBox1.Items[listBox1.SelectedIndex] as Job;

            txtJobName.Text = job.JobName;
            txtJobXML.Text = job.JobXML;
        }

    }

    private void btnRemove_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Job job = listBox1.Items[listBox1.SelectedIndex] as Job;
        job.StopTimer();
        listBox1.Items.Remove(job);
    }

    private void btnCollect_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        GC.Collect();
    }
}

Answer 1

There was an answer on this thread that is no longer there but, I am going to try to create a listener by keeping a port open

WCF through Windows Services
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms733069.aspx

Also adding the attribute

[ServiceBehavior(InstanceContextMode = InstanceContextMode.Single)]

Helps to keep state of the service.