Process.StandardOutput Property

Definition

Namespace:

System.Diagnostics

Assembly:

System.Diagnostics.Process.dll

Source:

Process.cs

Gets a stream used to read the textual output of the application.

public:
 property System::IO::StreamReader ^ StandardOutput { System::IO::StreamReader ^ get(); };

public System.IO.StreamReader StandardOutput { get; }

member this.StandardOutput : System.IO.StreamReader

Public ReadOnly Property StandardOutput As StreamReader

Property Value

StreamReader

A StreamReader that can be used to read the standard output stream of the application.

Exceptions

InvalidOperationException

The StandardOutput stream has not been defined for redirection; ensure RedirectStandardOutput is set to true and UseShellExecute is set to false.

-or-

The StandardOutput stream has been opened for asynchronous read operations with BeginOutputReadLine().

Examples

The following example runs the ipconfig.exe command and redirects its standard output to the example's console window.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Diagnostics;

int main()
{
    Process^ process = gcnew Process();
    process->StartInfo->FileName = "ipconfig.exe";
    process->StartInfo->UseShellExecute = false;
    process->StartInfo->RedirectStandardOutput = true;
    process->Start();

    // Synchronously read the standard output of the spawned process-> 
    StreamReader^ reader = process->StandardOutput;
    String^ output = reader->ReadToEnd();

    // Write the redirected output to this application's window.
    Console::WriteLine(output);

    process->WaitForExit();
    process->Close();

    Console::WriteLine("\n\nPress any key to exit");
    Console::ReadLine();
    return 0;
}

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Diagnostics;

class StandardOutputExample
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        using (Process process = new Process())
        {
            process.StartInfo.FileName = "ipconfig.exe";
            process.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
            process.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
            process.Start();

            // Synchronously read the standard output of the spawned process.
            StreamReader reader = process.StandardOutput;
            string output = reader.ReadToEnd();

            // Write the redirected output to this application's window.
            Console.WriteLine(output);

            process.WaitForExit();
        }

        Console.WriteLine("\n\nPress any key to exit.");
        Console.ReadLine();
    }
}

module ProcessStandardOutput

open System.Diagnostics

use proc = new Process()
proc.StartInfo.FileName <- "ipconfig.exe"
proc.StartInfo.UseShellExecute <- false
proc.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput <- true
proc.Start() |> ignore

// Synchronously read the standard output of the spawned process.
let reader = proc.StandardOutput
let output = reader.ReadToEnd()

// Write the redirected output to this application's window.
printfn $"{output}"

proc.WaitForExit()

printfn "\n\nPress any key to exit."
stdin.ReadLine() |> ignore

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Diagnostics

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Using process As New Process()
            process.StartInfo.FileName = "ipconfig.exe"
            process.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = False
            process.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = True
            process.Start()

            ' Synchronously read the standard output of the spawned process. 
            Dim reader As StreamReader = process.StandardOutput
            Dim output As String = reader.ReadToEnd()
            Console.WriteLine(output)

            process.WaitForExit()
        End Using

        Console.WriteLine(Environment.NewLine + Environment.NewLine + "Press any key to exit.")
        Console.ReadLine()
    End Sub
End Module

Remarks

When a Process writes text to its standard stream, that text is normally displayed on the console. By redirecting the StandardOutput stream, you can manipulate or suppress the output of a process. For example, you can filter the text, format it differently, or write the output to both the console and a designated log file.

Note

To use StandardOutput, you must set ProcessStartInfo.UseShellExecute to false, and you must set ProcessStartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput to true. Otherwise, reading from the StandardOutput stream throws an exception.

The redirected StandardOutput stream can be read synchronously or asynchronously. Methods such as Read, ReadLine, and ReadToEnd perform synchronous read operations on the output stream of the process. These synchronous read operations do not complete until the associated Process writes to its StandardOutput stream, or closes the stream.

In contrast, BeginOutputReadLine starts asynchronous read operations on the StandardOutput stream. This method enables a designated event handler for the stream output and immediately returns to the caller, which can perform other work while the stream output is directed to the event handler.

Synchronous read operations introduce a dependency between the caller reading from the StandardOutput stream and the child process writing to that stream. These dependencies can result in deadlock conditions. When the caller reads from the redirected stream of a child process, it is dependent on the child. The caller waits on the read operation until the child writes to the stream or closes the stream. When the child process writes enough data to fill its redirected stream, it is dependent on the parent. The child process waits on the next write operation until the parent reads from the full stream or closes the stream. The deadlock condition results when the caller and child process wait on each other to complete an operation, and neither can proceed. You can avoid deadlocks by evaluating dependencies between the caller and child process.

The last two examples in this section use the Start method to launch an executable named Write500Lines.exe. The following example contains its source code.

using System;
using System.IO;

public class Example3
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      for (int ctr = 0; ctr < 500; ctr++)
         Console.WriteLine($"Line {ctr + 1} of 500 written: {ctr + 1/500.0:P2}");

      Console.Error.WriteLine("\nSuccessfully wrote 500 lines.\n");
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
//      ' 49,800.20%
//      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
//'
//
//      Error stream: Successfully wrote 500 lines.

module Write500Lines

for i in 1. .. 500. do
    printfn $"Line {i} of 500 written: {i/500.:P2}";

eprintfn "Successfully wrote 500 lines.";
// The example displays the following output:
//      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
//      ' 49,800.20%
//      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
//'
//
//      Error stream: Successfully wrote 500 lines.

Imports System.IO

Public Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      For ctr As Integer = 0 To 499
         Console.WriteLine($"Line {ctr + 1} of 500 written: {ctr + 1/500.0:P2}")
      Next

      Console.Error.WriteLine($"{vbCrLf}Successfully wrote 500 lines.{vbCrLf}")
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
'      ' 49,800.20%
'      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
'
'
'      Error stream: Successfully wrote 500 lines.

The following example shows how to read from a redirected stream and wait for the child process to exit. The example avoids a deadlock condition by calling p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd before p.WaitForExit. A deadlock condition can result if the parent process calls p.WaitForExit before p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd and the child process writes enough text to fill the redirected stream. The parent process would wait indefinitely for the child process to exit. The child process would wait indefinitely for the parent to read from the full StandardOutput stream.

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;

public class Example2
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      var p = new Process();  
      p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;  
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;  
      p.StartInfo.FileName = "Write500Lines.exe";  
      p.Start();  

      // To avoid deadlocks, always read the output stream first and then wait.  
      string output = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();  
      p.WaitForExit();

      Console.WriteLine($"The last 50 characters in the output stream are:\n'{output.Substring(output.Length - 50)}'");
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//      Successfully wrote 500 lines.
//
//      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
//      ' 49,800.20%
//      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
//      '

module STDOutputSync

open System.Diagnostics

let p = new Process()
p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute <- false
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput <- true
p.StartInfo.FileName <- "Write500Lines.exe"
p.Start() |> ignore

// To avoid deadlocks, always read the output stream first and then wait.
let output = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd()
p.WaitForExit()

printfn $"The last 50 characters in the output stream are:\n'{output.Substring(output.Length - 50)}'"
// The example displays the following output:
//      Successfully wrote 500 lines.
//
//      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
//      ' 49,800.20%
//      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
//      '

Imports System.Diagnostics'

Public Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim p As New Process()
      p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = False  
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = True  
      p.StartInfo.FileName = "Write500Lines.exe"  
      p.Start() 

      ' To avoid deadlocks, always read the output stream first and then wait.  
      Dim output As String = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd()  
      p.WaitForExit()

      Console.WriteLine($"The last 50 characters in the output stream are:\n'{output.Substring(output.Length - 50)}'")
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'      Successfully wrote 500 lines.
'
'      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
'      ' 49,800.20%
'      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
'      '

There is a similar issue when you read all text from both the standard output and standard error streams. The following example performs a read operation on both streams. It avoids the deadlock condition by performing asynchronous read operations on the StandardError stream. A deadlock condition results if the parent process calls p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd followed by p.StandardError.ReadToEnd and the child process writes enough text to fill its error stream. The parent process would wait indefinitely for the child process to close its StandardOutput stream. The child process would wait indefinitely for the parent to read from the full StandardError stream.

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      var p = new Process();  
      p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;  
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;  
      string eOut = null;
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
      p.ErrorDataReceived += new DataReceivedEventHandler((sender, e) => 
                                 { eOut += e.Data; });
      p.StartInfo.FileName = "Write500Lines.exe";  
      p.Start();  

      // To avoid deadlocks, use an asynchronous read operation on at least one of the streams.  
      p.BeginErrorReadLine();
      string output = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();  
      p.WaitForExit();

      Console.WriteLine($"The last 50 characters in the output stream are:\n'{output.Substring(output.Length - 50)}'");
      Console.WriteLine($"\nError stream: {eOut}");
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
//      ' 49,800.20%
//      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
//      '
//
//      Error stream: Successfully wrote 500 lines.

module STDOutputAsync

open System.Diagnostics

let p = new Process()
p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute <- false
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput <- true
let mutable eOut = ""
p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError <- true
p.ErrorDataReceived.AddHandler(DataReceivedEventHandler(fun sender e -> eOut <- eOut + e.Data))

p.StartInfo.FileName <- "Write500Lines.exe"
p.Start() |> ignore

// To avoid deadlocks, use an asynchronous read operation on at least one of the streams.
p.BeginErrorReadLine()
let output = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd()
p.WaitForExit()

printfn $"The last 50 characters in the output stream are:\n'{output.Substring(output.Length - 50)}'"
printfn $"\nError stream: {eOut}"
// The example displays the following output:
//      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
//      ' 49,800.20%
//      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
//      '
//
//      Error stream: Successfully wrote 500 lines.

Imports System.Diagnostics

Public Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim p As New Process()  
      p.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = False  
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = True  
      Dim eOut As String = Nothing
      p.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = True
      AddHandler p.ErrorDataReceived, Sub(sender, e) eOut += e.Data 
      p.StartInfo.FileName = "Write500Lines.exe"  
      p.Start()  

      ' To avoid deadlocks, use an asynchronous read operation on at least one of the streams.  
      p.BeginErrorReadLine()
      Dim output As String = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd()  
      p.WaitForExit()

      Console.WriteLine($"The last 50 characters in the output stream are:{vbCrLf}'{output.Substring(output.Length - 50)}'")
      Console.WriteLine($"{vbCrLf}Error stream: {eOut}")
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'      The last 50 characters in the output stream are:
'      ' 49,800.20%
'      Line 500 of 500 written: 49,900.20%
'      '
'
'      Error stream: Successfully wrote 500 lines.

You can use asynchronous read operations to avoid these dependencies and their deadlock potential. Alternately, you can avoid the deadlock condition by creating two threads and reading the output of each stream on a separate thread.

Note

You cannot mix asynchronous and synchronous read operations on a redirected stream. Once the redirected stream of a Process is opened in either asynchronous or synchronous mode, all further read operations on that stream must be in the same mode. For example, do not follow BeginOutputReadLine with a call to ReadLine on the StandardOutput stream, or vice versa. However, you can read two different streams in different modes. For example, you can call BeginOutputReadLine and then call ReadLine for the StandardError stream.

See also

• StandardInput
• StandardError
• RedirectStandardOutput