C# - Running / Executing “Excel to CSV File Converter” Console App from C# WinForm App

Question

I'm developing a WinForms application using C# with an OpenFileDialog, FileBrowserDialog and I have enabled selection of multiple xls files that I want to:

1. Copy the selected files to the Consolidated directory
2. Convert the selected files to .csv files via the command prompt command [C:\\CommissionRecon\\ConvertExcel\\ConvertExcelTo.exe ^ xxxxx.xls ^ xxxx.csv]
3. Combine all .csv files into 1 csv file using the command prompt [.csv File location: Copy *.csv ^ filename.csv]

What is the correct the syntax for executing this console app??

Please check the code below and recommend some fixes. I included a lot of code so that you can get the big picture but I mainly want you to just look at the private void sourceFiles_Click method if possible.

Thanks!

Here's the code from the MainForm.CS file:

    // Select Source Files Button 
    private void sourceFiles_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Stream myStream = null;
        OpenFileDialog openFileDialog1 = new OpenFileDialog();

        this.sourceFileOpenFileDialog.InitialDirectory = "i:\\CommissisionReconciliation\\Review\\";
        this.sourceFileOpenFileDialog.Filter = "Excel Files (*.xls;*.xlsx;)|*.xls;*.xlsx;|All Files (*.*)|*.*";
        this.sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FilterIndex = 2;
        this.sourceFileOpenFileDialog.RestoreDirectory = true;
        this.sourceFileOpenFileDialog.Multiselect = true;
        this.sourceFileOpenFileDialog.Title = "Excel File Browser";

        DialogResult dr = this.sourceFileOpenFileDialog.ShowDialog();
        if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
        {
            string consolidatedFolder = targetFolderBrowserDialog.SelectedPath; 
            // Read the files
            foreach (String file in sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileNames)
            {
                try
                {
                    // Copy each selected xlsx files into the specified TargetFolder 

                    System.IO.File.Copy(fileName, consolidatedFolder + @"\" + System.IO.Path.GetFileName(fileName)); 

                    // Convert each selected XLSX File to CSV Using the command prompt
                    // [I:\CommissisionReconciliation\App\ConvertExcel\ConvertExcelTo.exe ^ .XLS file location ^ filename.csv] 
                    // example: ConvertExcelTo.exe ^ I:\CommissisionReconciliation\ Review\_Consolidated\ALH\2011-350-00-600070-
                    // 03-09alh-AMLHS of Florida.xlsx ^ 2011-350-00-600070-03-09alh-AMLHS of Florida.csv

                    Process covertFilesProcess = new Process();

                    covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = "I:\\CommissisionReconciliation\\App\\ConvertExcel\\";
                    covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.FileName = sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileName; 
                    covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.Arguments = "ConvertExcelTo.exe" + " ^ " + targetFolderBrowserDialog.SelectedPath + "^" + sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileName + ".csv";
                    covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
                    covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
                    covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
                    covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
                    covertFilesProcess.Start();

                    StreamReader sOut = covertFilesProcess.StandardOutput;
                    StreamReader sErr = covertFilesProcess.StandardError;

                }

                catch (SecurityException ex)
                {
                    // The user lacks appropriate permissions to read files, discover paths, etc.
                    MessageBox.Show("Security error. The user lacks appropriate permissions to read files, discover paths, etc. Please contact your administrator for details.\n\n" +
                    "Error message: " + ex.Message + "\n\n" +);
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    // Could not load the image - probably related to Windows file system permissions.
                    MessageBox.Show("Cannot display the image: " + file.Substring(file.LastIndexOf('\\'))
                     + ". You may not have permission to read the file, or " +
                     "it may be corrupt.\n\nReported error: " + ex.Message);
                }

                finally
                {
                    sOut.Close();
                    sErr.Close();
                }

                try
                {
                    // Combine all .csv files into 1 csv file using the command prompt
                    // [.csv File location: Copy *.csv ^ filename.csv]
                    // example: [.CSV I:\CommissisionReconciliation\ Review\_Consolidated\ALH\: Copy *.csv 
                    // ^2011-350-00-600070-03-09alh-AMLHS of Florida.csv)

                    Process consolidateFilesProcess = new Process();

                    // substring function to take off the extension from sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileName
                    // int csvFileName.Length = sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileName.Length - 3;  

                    consolidateFilesProcess.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = "I:\\CommissisionReconciliation\\App\\ConvertExcel\\";
                    consolidateFilesProcess.StartInfo.FileName = sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileName; 
                    consolidateFilesProcess.StartInfo.Arguments = ".CSV " + " ^ " + targetFolderBrowserDialog.SelectedPath + ": Copy *.csv ^" + csvFileName+ ".csv";
                    consolidateFilesProcess.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
                    consolidateFilesProcess.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
                    consolidateFilesProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
                    consolidateFilesProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
                    consolidateFilesProcess.Start();

                    StreamReader sOut = consolidateFilesProcess.StandardOutput;
                    StreamReader sErr = consolidateFilesProcess.StandardError;
                }

                catch (SecurityException ex)
                {
                    // The user lacks appropriate permissions to read files, discover paths, etc.
                    MessageBox.Show("Security error. The user lacks appropriate permissions to read files, discover paths, etc. Please contact your administrator for details.\n\n" +
                    "Error message: " + ex.Message + "\n\n" +);
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    // Could not load the image - probably related to Windows file system permissions.
                    MessageBox.Show("Cannot display the image: " + file.Substring(file.LastIndexOf('\\'))
                     + ". You may not have permission to read the file, or " +
                     "it may be corrupt.\n\nReported error: " + ex.Message);
                }

                finally
                {
                    sOut.Close();
                    sErr.Close();
                }

            } // ends foreach (String file in openFileDialog1.FileNames)
        }  // ends if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
    } // ends selectFilesButton_Click method 

        if (sourceFileOpenFileDialog.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
        {
            try
            {
                if ((myStream = sourceFileOpenFileDialog.OpenFile()) != null)
                {
                    using (myStream)
                    {
                        textBoxSourceFiles.Text = sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileNames;
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Error: Could not read file from disk. Original error: " + ex.Message);
            }
        }

        if (sourceFileOpenFileDialog.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
        {
            Log("Source Files: " + sourceFileOpenFileDialog.SelectedFiles);
        }
        textBoxSourceFiles.Text = sourceFileOpenFileDialog.SelectedFiles;
    }

Answer 1

When you create the ProcessSTartInfo, you need to specify the executeable of the process you want to run as filename!

For example:

Process covertFilesProcess = new Process();

covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = "I:\\CommissisionReconciliation\\App\\ConvertExcel\\";
covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.FileName = "ConvertExcelTo.exe";
covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.Arguments = "^ " + targetFolderBrowserDialog.SelectedPath + "^" + sourceFileOpenFileDialog.FileName + ".csv";
covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = true;
covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
covertFilesProcess.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
covertFilesProcess.Start();

StreamReader sOut = covertFilesProcess.StandardOutput;
StreamReader sErr = covertFilesProcess.StandardError;

Answer 2

Well first thing:

try
{
    ...
    StreamReader sOut = covertFilesProcess.StandardOutput;
}
sOut.close();

sOut is declared inside the try block - it's not visible outside. You need to move it to the outside lke this

StreamReader sOut = null;
try
{
    ...
    sOut = covertFilesProcess.StandardOutput;
}

if (sOut != null) sOut.Close();

Same with sErr

Update : for SecurityException you need to add using System.Security and for Process you need to add using System.Diagnostics. And the variable fileName is not declared - so the compiler doesn't know what it is.