WPF Single Instance Best Practices

Question

This is the code I implemented so far to create a single instance WPF application:

#region Using Directives
using System;
using System.Globalization;
using S         


        

Answer 1

to prevent a second instance (and signal the existing),

• using EventWaitHandle (since we are talking about an event),
• using Task,
• no Mutex code required,
• no TCP,
• no Pinvokes,
• no GarbageCollection stuff,
• thread save
• simple

it could be done like this (this for an WPF app (see ref to App()), but works on WinForms as well):

public partial class App : Application
{
    public App()
    {
        // initiate it. Call it first.
        preventSecond();
    }

    private const string UniqueEventName = "{GENERATE-YOUR-OWN-GUID}";

    private void preventSecond()
    {
        try
        {
            EventWaitHandle.OpenExisting(UniqueEventName); // check if it exists
            this.Shutdown();
        }
        catch (WaitHandleCannotBeOpenedException)
        {
            new EventWaitHandle(false, EventResetMode.AutoReset, UniqueEventName); // register
        }
    }
}

---

Second version: above plus signaling the other instance to show the window (change the MainWindow part for WinForms):

public partial class App : Application
{
    public App()
    {
        // initiate it. Call it first.
        //preventSecond();
        SingleInstanceWatcher();
    }

    private const string UniqueEventName = "{GENERATE-YOUR-OWN-GUID}";
    private EventWaitHandle eventWaitHandle;

    /// 
prevent a second instance and signal it to bring its mainwindow to foreground
    /// 
    private void SingleInstanceWatcher()
    {
        // check if it is already open.
        try
        {
            // try to open it - if another instance is running, it will exist , if not it will throw
            this.eventWaitHandle = EventWaitHandle.OpenExisting(UniqueEventName);

            // Notify other instance so it could bring itself to foreground.
            this.eventWaitHandle.Set();

            // Terminate this instance.
            this.Shutdown();
        }
        catch (WaitHandleCannotBeOpenedException)
        {
            // listen to a new event (this app instance will be the new "master")
            this.eventWaitHandle = new EventWaitHandle(false, EventResetMode.AutoReset, UniqueEventName);
        }

        // if this instance gets the signal to show the main window
        new Task(() =>
        {
            while (this.eventWaitHandle.WaitOne())
            {
                Current.Dispatcher.BeginInvoke((Action)(() =>
                {
                    // could be set or removed anytime
                    if (!Current.MainWindow.Equals(null))
                    {
                        var mw = Current.MainWindow;

                        if (mw.WindowState == WindowState.Minimized || mw.Visibility != Visibility.Visible)
                        {
                            mw.Show();
                            mw.WindowState = WindowState.Normal;
                        }

                        // According to some sources these steps are required to be sure it went to foreground.
                        mw.Activate();
                        mw.Topmost = true;
                        mw.Topmost = false;
                        mw.Focus();
                    }
                }));
            }
        })
        .Start();
    }
}

This code as a drop in class, will be @ Selfcontained-C-Sharp-WPF-compatible-utility-classes / Utils.SingleInstance.cs