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

There are Several choices,

• Mutex
• Process manager
• Named Semaphore
• Use a listener socket

Mutex

Mutex myMutex ;

private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
    bool aIsNewInstance = false;
    myMutex = new Mutex(true, "MyWPFApplication", out aIsNewInstance);  
    if (!aIsNewInstance)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Already an instance is running...");
        App.Current.Shutdown();  
    }
}

Process manager

private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
    Process proc = Process.GetCurrentProcess();
    int count = Process.GetProcesses().Where(p=> 
        p.ProcessName == proc.ProcessName).Count();

    if (count > 1)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Already an instance is running...");
        App.Current.Shutdown(); 
    }
}

Use a listener socket

One way to signal another application is to open a Tcp connection to it. Create a socket, bind to a port, and listen on a background thread for connections. If this succeeds, run normally. If not, make a connection to that port, which signals the other instance that a second application launch attempt has been made. The original instance can then bring its main window to the front, if appropriate.

“Security” software / firewalls might be an issue.

Single Instance Application C#.Net along with Win32

Answer 2

For WPF just use:

public partial class App : Application
{
    private static Mutex _mutex = null;

    protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
    {
        const string appName = "MyAppName";
        bool createdNew;

        _mutex = new Mutex(true, appName, out createdNew);

        if (!createdNew)
        {
            //app is already running! Exiting the application  
            Application.Current.Shutdown();
        }

        base.OnStartup(e);
    }          
}

Answer 3

The most straight forward way to handle that would be using a named semaphore. Try something like this...

public partial class App : Application
{
    Semaphore sema;
    bool shouldRelease = false;

    protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
    {

        bool result = Semaphore.TryOpenExisting("SingleInstanceWPFApp", out sema);

        if (result) // we have another instance running
        {
            App.Current.Shutdown();
        }
        else
        {
            try
            {
                sema = new Semaphore(1, 1, "SingleInstanceWPFApp");
            }
            catch
            {
                App.Current.Shutdown(); //
            }
        }

        if (!sema.WaitOne(0))
        {
            App.Current.Shutdown();
        }
        else
        {
            shouldRelease = true;
        }


        base.OnStartup(e);
    }

    protected override void OnExit(ExitEventArgs e)
    {
        if (sema != null && shouldRelease)
        {
            sema.Release();
        }
    }

}

Answer 4

I wanted to have a bit better user experience - if another instance is already running let's activate it rather than showing an error about the second instance. Here is my implementation.

I use named Mutex for making sure that only one instance is running and named EventWaitHandle to pass notification from one instance to another.

App.xaml.cs:

/// <summary>Interaction logic for App.xaml</summary>
public partial class App
{
    #region Constants and Fields

    /// <summary>The event mutex name.</summary>
    private const string UniqueEventName = "{GUID}";

    /// <summary>The unique mutex name.</summary>
    private const string UniqueMutexName = "{GUID}";

    /// <summary>The event wait handle.</summary>
    private EventWaitHandle eventWaitHandle;

    /// <summary>The mutex.</summary>
    private Mutex mutex;

    #endregion

    #region Methods

    /// <summary>The app on startup.</summary>
    /// <param name="sender">The sender.</param>
    /// <param name="e">The e.</param>
    private void AppOnStartup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
    {
        bool isOwned;
        this.mutex = new Mutex(true, UniqueMutexName, out isOwned);
        this.eventWaitHandle = new EventWaitHandle(false, EventResetMode.AutoReset, UniqueEventName);

        // So, R# would not give a warning that this variable is not used.
        GC.KeepAlive(this.mutex);

        if (isOwned)
        {
            // Spawn a thread which will be waiting for our event
            var thread = new Thread(
                () =>
                {
                    while (this.eventWaitHandle.WaitOne())
                    {
                        Current.Dispatcher.BeginInvoke(
                            (Action)(() => ((MainWindow)Current.MainWindow).BringToForeground()));
                    }
                });

            // It is important mark it as background otherwise it will prevent app from exiting.
            thread.IsBackground = true;

            thread.Start();
            return;
        }

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

        // Terminate this instance.
        this.Shutdown();
    }

    #endregion
}

And BringToForeground in MainWindow.cs:

    /// <summary>Brings main window to foreground.</summary>
    public void BringToForeground()
    {
        if (this.WindowState == WindowState.Minimized || this.Visibility == Visibility.Hidden)
        {
            this.Show();
            this.WindowState = WindowState.Normal;
        }

        // According to some sources these steps gurantee that an app will be brought to foreground.
        this.Activate();
        this.Topmost = true;
        this.Topmost = false;
        this.Focus();
    }

And add Startup="AppOnStartup" (thanks vhanla!):

<Application x:Class="MyClass.App"  
             xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"   
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
             Startup="AppOnStartup">
    <Application.Resources>
    </Application.Resources>
</Application>

Works for me :)

Answer 5

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;

    /// <summary>prevent a second instance and signal it to bring its mainwindow to foreground</summary>
    /// <seealso cref="https://stackoverflow.com/a/23730146/1644202"/>
    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