Creating a Windows Service in C#

This article shows how to create a simple Windows Service using C# and Visual Studio 2005.

In this step-by-step article, I talk about how to create a Windows Service using Visual Studio 2005 and .NET Framework 2.0. 

In Visual Studio 2005,
 
Step 1:  Select File -> New -> Project

Step 2:  Add new project dialog box opens. In that left side pane, expand Visual C#. Click on Windows. In the right side pane, some templates will be displayed.

Select Windows Service from the installed templates. Give some name for the windows service.

 

Step 3:  Once you click "OK" in the above dialog box, the following screen appears.

  

Step 4:  Now click on the link ("Click here to switch to code view") and the following screen appears

Step 5:  Now replace the overridden OnStart and OnStop methods will the following code. The OnStart event code executes when a service starts and OnStop event code executes when the service stops.

On the OnStart event, I create a text file and have a timer settings. On the OnStop event, I write more text to the text file.

        protected override void OnStart(string[] args)

        {

            FileStream fs = new FileStream(@"c:\temp\pravin.txt",

            FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.Write);

            StreamWriter m_streamWriter = new StreamWriter(fs);

            m_streamWriter.BaseStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.End);

           

            m_streamWriter.WriteLine("Service Started on \n" + DateTime.Now.ToShortDateString() + " at " + DateTime.Now.ToShortTimeString());

            m_streamWriter.Flush();

            m_streamWriter.Close();

            _timer.Change(0, 30000); // Commented Lines

           

        }

        protected override void OnStop()

        {

            FileStream fs = new FileStream(@"c:\temp\mcWindowsService.txt",

            FileMode.OpenOrCreate, FileAccess.Write);

            StreamWriter m_streamWriter = new StreamWriter(fs);

            m_streamWriter.BaseStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.End);

            m_streamWriter.WriteLine(" mcWindowsService: Service Stopped \n" + DateTime.Now.ToShortDateString() + " at " + DateTime.Now.ToShortTimeString());

            m_streamWriter.WriteLine(" *-------------* \n");

            m_streamWriter.Flush();

            m_streamWriter.Close();

        }

Step 6:  Refer Step 4.  The constructor service  can be replaced with the following code, if the windows service is to be triggered at regular interval

Timer _timer;

public Service1()

{

     _timer = new Timer(new TimerCallback(OnNextMinute), null, Timeout.Infinite, Timeout.Infinite);            

     InitializeComponent();

}

 

 

 

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EDITOR'S NOTE:
Please refer Creating a Windows Service in C#  article to learn how to install, start, and stop a Windows Service.

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