How to create a Windows Service in C#?

To create a Windows service, you need to use the ServiceBase class and follow the steps to implement it. 1. Create a Windows Service project in Visual Studio and inherit the ServiceBase class; 2. Write service logic such as timing tasks or listening operations in the OnStart() and OnStop() methods; 3. Add the installer component to set the Account, ServiceName, and StartType properties to register the service; 4. Use the installutil command to install or uninstall the service and view the service manager to confirm the registration status; 5. Debug by attaching a debugger or manually attaching to the process. Mastering these steps can enable back-end task processing and logging functions.

Creating a Windows Service (Windows Service) is not actually complicated in C#, but it requires you to understand some specific structures and processes. In short, you need to use the ServiceBase class provided by the .NET Framework and register it with the Windows Service Manager through the installer.

Here are some key steps and precautions to help you quickly get started with creating a C# Windows service.

1. Create a Windows Service Project

In Visual Studio, you can create a basic Windows service project by:

• Open Visual Studio and select Create New Project
• Search for "Windows Service" template (Note: .NET Framework template)
• Select the appropriate .NET Framework version (usually 4.x)

After creation is completed, you will see a designer interface that has inherited ServiceBase class, in which you can write your service logic.

2. Write service logic

In the generated Service1.cs file, you will see two main methods:

• OnStart() : Called when the service starts
• OnStop() : Called when the service stops

You can add your own logic to these two methods, such as starting a timed task, listening to a certain port, writing logs, etc.

For example:

 protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
{
    // Here you can start a timer and execute the task every 5 seconds var timer = new Timer();
    timer.Interval = 5000;
    timer.Elapsed = (sender, e) => Log("Service is running...");
    timer.Start();
}

private void Log(string message)
{
    // Write log to file or event log}

Note: The service cannot be debugged directly like a normal program, you need to install it into the system to run.

3. Add an installer to register a service

In order for the service to be installed and run, you need to add an "installer" component:

• Right-click the blank space in the designer interface and select "Add Installer"
• The system will automatically add ProjectInstaller.cs , which contains two components: serviceProcessInstaller1 and serviceInstaller1
• Set their properties:
  • Account (account type): It is recommended to set to LocalSystem
  • ServiceName : Set as the service name you want to register
  • StartType : You can choose to start automatically or manually

4. Install and uninstall services

To install and uninstall the service, use command line tools:

• Open the Developer Command Prompt (run as administrator)
• Installation service:

   installutil YourService.exe

• Uninstall the service:

   installutil /u YourService.exe

Note: The path should point to the location of your compiled .exe file.

After the installation is complete, open the Services Manager (services.msc) and you should be able to see the service you created.

5. Tips for debugging services

Since the service cannot run debugging directly, you can assist in debugging in the following ways:

• Add the following code to OnStart() and attach the debugger:

   #if DEBUG
      System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Launch();
  #endif

• Or manually attach to the service process (select "Attach to process" in Visual Studio)

This way you can gradually view the execution process like debugging a normal program.

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Basically that's it. Although there are a lot of processes to create Windows services, the structure is fixed, and you will be able to get started soon after you get familiar with it. The focus is on understanding the life cycle and installation mechanism of the service, and how to handle background tasks and logging.

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