Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics.CommandShell 2026.5.3

Overview

The module provides OS command shell functionality.

CommandShell

CommandShell static class from Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics.CommandShell module provides operations for locating files using the PATH environment variable according to the rules of a host operating system.

Where

The Where method enumerates the paths of a file with the specified name using the PATH environment variable. It is similar to the Windows where command or Unix which command, but works cross-platform.

The basic usage is straightforward:

using Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics;

foreach (string path in CommandShell.Where("notepad"))
    Console.WriteLine(path);

On Windows, this might produce output like:

C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe
C:\Windows\notepad.exe

The method respects the operating system's file discovery rules:

• On Windows, it uses the PATHEXT environment variable to try different file extensions (.exe, .cmd, .bat, etc.)
• On Unix-like systems, it searches for files with the exact name specified
• It handles case sensitivity according to the host operating system

Where with Probing Paths

You can also specify custom probing paths that will be checked before the PATH environment variable:

using Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics;

// Check custom directories first, then PATH
string[] customPaths = [@"C:\MyTools", @"C:\MyDir"];
foreach (string path in CommandShell.Where("myapp", customPaths))
    Console.WriteLine(path);

This is useful when you want to prioritize certain directories or check additional locations beyond the standard PATH.

Handling Paths with Directory Information

If the file name contains directory information, Where method will only search in that specific directory:

using Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics;

// Only searches in "C:\MyDir" directory
foreach (string path in CommandShell.Where(@"C:\MyDir\myapp"))
    Console.WriteLine(path);

Cross-Platform Behavior

The Where method automatically adapts to the host operating system:

• Windows: Uses PATHEXT environment variable to try multiple file extensions
• Unix/Linux/macOS: Searches for files with the exact name specified

This makes it easy to write cross-platform code that locates executables correctly on any operating system.

Commonly Used Types

• Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics.CommandShell

Other Modules

Let's continue with a look at some other modules provided by Gapotchenko.FX:

• Gapotchenko.FX
• Gapotchenko.FX.AppModel.Information
• Gapotchenko.FX.Collections
• Gapotchenko.FX.Console
• Gapotchenko.FX.Data
• Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics
  • Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics.CommandLine
  • ➴ Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics.CommandShell
  • Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics.Process
  • Gapotchenko.FX.Diagnostics.WebBrowser
• Gapotchenko.FX.IO
• Gapotchenko.FX.Linq
• Gapotchenko.FX.Math
• Gapotchenko.FX.Memory
• Gapotchenko.FX.Security.Cryptography
• Gapotchenko.FX.Text
• Gapotchenko.FX.Threading
• Gapotchenko.FX.Tuples
• Gapotchenko.FX.Versioning

Or look at the full list of modules.