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Write into a log file with C#

I am using the JitBit Macro Recorder to create "bots" that save me a lot of time at work. This program can use the mouse and the keyboard and perform tasks by checking different if-options like "if image found on screen".
My newest "bot" is about 900 lines of commands long and I would like to make a log-file to find an error somewhere in there. Sadly, this program doesn't offer such an option, but it let's me use c# as a task. I have NO experience with c# but I thought, that this is easy to do for someone who has some experience.
If I click execute c# code, I get the following input field:
Important: This code MUST contain a class named "Program" with a static method "Main"!
public class Program
{
public static void Main()
{
System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show("test");
}
}
Now I need two code templates:
1. Write a message to a "bot_log.txt" located on my desktop.
[19.05.2016 - 12:21:09] "Checking if item with number 3 exists..."
The number "3" changes with every run and is an exact paste of the clipboard.
2. Add an empty line to the same file
(Everything should be added to a new line at the end of this file.)

If you have no idea how to program in C#, then you should learn it,
if you want to use code provided from answers.
And if you want to generate timestamps and stuff then it's not done within minutes and I don't think someone writes the whole code just for your fitting. Normally questions should have at least a bit of general interest.
Anyway:
This works, if you have a RichTextTbox in your program.
Just do a new event (like clicking a button) and do this inside it.
(This was posted somewhere here too or on another site, with sligh changes)
public static void SaveMyFile(RichTextBox rtb)
{
// Create a SaveFileDialog to request a path and file name to save to.
SaveFileDialog saveLog = new SaveFileDialog();
// Initialize the SaveFileDialog to specify the RTF extention for the file.
saveLog.DefaultExt = "*.rtf";
saveLog.Filter = "RTF Files|*.rtf"; //You can do other extensions here.
// Determine whether the user selected a file name from the saveFileDialog.
if (saveLog.ShowDialog() == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK &&
saveLog.FileName.Length > 0)
{
// Save the contents of the RichTextBox into the file.
try
{
rtb.SaveFile(saveLog.FileName);
}
catch
{
MessageBox.Show("Error creating the file.\n Is the name correct and is enough free space on your disk\n ?");
}
MessageBox.Show("Logfile was saved successful.");
}
}

How to get the filename of a running PPS using System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal

I'm trying to make a .net 4.0 program which will get the filename of a PowerPoint Show (PPS) that is being viewed on the same machine. The purpose is to time how long a particular presentation takes to go through without any user action.
I've tried the following:
oPPTApp = (PowerPoint.Application)System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.
GetActiveObject("PowerPoint.Application");
string ppsname = oPPTApp.ActivePresentation.Name.ToLower();
The program runs minimized while the presentation is being viewed. Even while interacting with the PPS (scrolling through slides, clicking, etc), I get the following error from Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint._Application:
Application (unknown member) : Invalid request. There is no active presentation.
After searching through http://support.microsoft.com/kb/285472, I tried adding:
oPPTApp.Visible = Microsoft.Office.Core.MsoTriState.msoTrue;
However, this started a new instance of PowerPoint, followed by the same error.
I'll also mention I'm using Microsoft PowerPoint 14.0 Object Library and the IOleMessageFilter error handler from here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/ms228772(v=vs.110).aspx
Does ActivePresentation.Name not apply to PPS files? Is there a better way of getting the filename of an open PPS?

Why not use plain old System.Diagnostics.Process?
The following code will give you the name of the active window of all processes with a given friendly name (process name without extension; in your case "POWERPNT").
using System.Diagnostics;
public static IEnumerable<string> GetActiveMainWindowsTitle(string processName)
{
var ps = Process.GetProcessesByName(processName);
foreach (var p in ps)
yield return p.MainWindowTitle;
}
The MainWindowTitle of a MS PowerPoint process is the name of the active presentation so if you are only looking for that info, this should do (you might need to clean the title a little if you are running, for example, a Home and Student version; usually there is a "non comercial use" tag on the main window title)

can record unc connection?

The Pc I use have an UNC file. I'm in a Network with other people.
Every other can open the file by tipping in the adress line \\file.
Know I want to write a c# programm in Vs2010 which watch over the file I use Win7 32bit. If any one Open the file the programm shall write in a Logfile that someone has open my file.
I tried to use the FileSystemWatcher but this only look for changes/saves/cration but not for Opening.
I read somthing about "auditing" and that I'm be able to do that(watch over my unc file) with this(auditing).But i tried to find out how to use auditing in c# but i found not much.
.
So my Questions:
Is it possible to do what i want with "auditing" ?
Did someone worked with auditing in c# befor or has anyone a link or somtihng to show me how it works in c#?
mfg Sam
Sry for bad english

You might want to use the Audit Object Access.
The steps you have to follow:
Enable the Audit object access in the Local Computer Policy.
Enable auditing for the object you want to follow.
From your application, use the EventLog.EntryWritten Event to detect the file opening event
Here's a simplistic sample usage, but you'll have to dig in the documentation in order to capture and log as you need to:
class Program
{
public static void Main()
{
EventLog myNewLog = new EventLog("Security", ".", "Microsoft Windows security");
myNewLog.EntryWritten += new EntryWrittenEventHandler(MyOnEntryWritten);
myNewLog.EnableRaisingEvents = true;
Console.ReadLine();
}
public static async void MyOnEntryWritten(object source, EntryWrittenEventArgs e)
{
await Task.Factory.StartNew(() =>
{
if (e.Entry.InstanceId == 4656 || e.Entry.InstanceId == 4663)
{
Console.WriteLine(e.Entry.Message);
}
});
}
}

Issues about files or folders in use: get the name of another Process that use file or folder

I using C# .NET , vs 2008 , .net 3.5
For me, is difficult, but I need sample code in C# for this:
Check if a file or a folder is in use
If file or a folder is in use, the name of Process that use it
For example, in my issue.
I try delete file, and I get "The process cannot access the file 'XYZ' because it is being used by another process." Exception.
File.Delete(infoFichero.Ruta);
I want check if a file is in use, and the name of Process that use it.
I need sample code, source code, please. I dont want use c++, I dont know c, c++, unmanaged code, or WinApi. I want use only C# code (managed code .net).
I have read several references but not get sample code source,
How to check if a file is in use?
Emulate waiting on File.Open in C# when file is locked
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/csharpgeneral/thread/9dabc172-237a-42db-850e-ada08885a5d5
How to check if a file is in use?
Easiest way to read text file which is locked by another application
Using C# is it possible to test if a lock is held on a file
EDIT:
From Yan Jun - MSFT
string path = "D:\\temp2.xlsx";
foreach (Process c in Process.GetProcesses()) {
if (c.MainWindowTitle.Contains(Path.GetFileName(path))){
MessageBox.Show(c.ProcessName);
return;
}
}
try{
FileInfo f = new FileInfo(path);
f.Delete();
}
catch (Exception ex){
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
...
But it is difficult get solution for all 100% issues.
Problem if c.MainWindowTitle == null or not contains filename.
Problem for shared folder in another machine, PC, server,... like:
File.Delete(#\desiis\TEmporal\Project\script.targets);
any sample code, I ask for help gurus, MVPs, anyone.
UPDATE: the same issue for a folder

There's not going to be a way to find the process that has the file opened without stepping into the WinApi, I don't think. And as far as checking whether its in use, the only thing you can really do, as the SO questions you linked to state, is to wrap the file access attempts in a try/catch block.
The code to find which file has it opened is likely to be ugly, but there may be an API out there that wraps this up nicely. There are 3rd party utilities that will tell you this (Unlocker being the best known example). You can also use ProcessExplorer to search for open file handles by the filename. Those don't really help you though.
The short answer of what I'm trying to get across here is you have the answer for the first part of your question in the SO questions you already linked, and the second part would probably require WIN32 calls, which you want to avoid, but you're probably going to have to get your hands dirty in Win32... Still want help?
EDIT: You could shell out to sysinternals Handle utility. You would need to get the output of that command and parse it yourself. You can read the executed process's output like this
string result = proc.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
The issue with this is you're going to get a license agreement popup the first time you run the Handle utility. Not to mention the whole licensing issues if this is something you hope to deploy...
If you're still interested, I can show you how you'd go about this.
EDIT: Here's a runnable program that will find the exe name and pid of any program that has an open handle to a file. I added comments, but can elaborate further if necessary. I use Regular Expressions here to parse the output as that makes the most sense given the task at hand.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
ProcessStartInfo si = new ProcessStartInfo();
si.FileName = "handle.exe"; //name of the handle program from sysinternals
//assumes that its in the exe directory or in your path
//environment variable
//the following three lines are required to be able to read the output (StandardOutput)
//and hide the exe window.
si.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
si.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
si.UseShellExecute = false;
si.Arguments = "test.xlsx"; //this is the file you're trying to access that is locked
//these 4 lines create a process object, start it, then read the output to
//a new string variable "s"
Process p = new Process();
p.StartInfo = si;
p.Start();
string s = p.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
//this will use regular expressions to search the output for process name
//and print it out to the console window
string regex = #"^\w*\.EXE";
MatchCollection matches = Regex.Matches(s, regex, RegexOptions.Multiline);
foreach (var match in matches)
{
Console.WriteLine(match);
}
//this will use regex to search the output for the process id (pid)
//and print it to the console window.
regex = #"pid: (?<pid>[0-9]*)";
matches = Regex.Matches(s, regex, RegexOptions.Multiline);
foreach (var obj in matches)
{
Match match = (Match)obj; //i have to cast to a Match object
//to be able to get the named group out
Console.WriteLine(match.Groups["pid"].Value.ToString());
}
Console.Read();
}
}
}

There is no purely managed way to do this. You have to use some low-level APIs through P/invoke or similar.
There's good information here on a way to do it, but it's C++ code. You'd have to do the porting yourself.
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/shell/OpenedFileFinder.aspx
Note there are some complex issues with this, namely the issues around kernel vs. userspace memory. This is not a simple problem you're trying to solve.

Try the windows Process Explorer:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx
Won't let you do it from code, but at least you can figure out what the source of your locks are.

Monitor file selection in explorer (like clipboard monitoring) in C#

I am trying to create a little helper application, one scenario is "file duplication finder". What I want to do is this:
I start my C# .NET app, it gives me an empty list.
Start the normal windows explorer, select a file in some folder
The C# app tells me stuff about this file (e.g. duplicates)
How can I monitor the currently selected file in the "normal" windows explorer instance. Do I have to start the instance using .NET to have a handle of the process. Do I need a handle, or is there some "global hook" I can monitor inside C#. Its a little bit like monitoring the clipboard, but not exactly the same...
Any help is appreciated (if you don't have code, just point me to the right interops, dlls or help pages :-) Thanks, Chris
EDIT 1 (current source, thanks to Mattias)
using SHDocVw;
using Shell32;
public static void ListExplorerWindows()
{
foreach (InternetExplorer ie in new ShellWindowsClass())
DebugExplorerInstance(ie);
}
public static void DebugExplorerInstance(InternetExplorer instance)
{
Debug.WriteLine("DebugExplorerInstance ".PadRight(30, '='));
Debug.WriteLine("FullName " + instance.FullName);
Debug.WriteLine("AdressBar " + instance.AddressBar);
var doc = instance.Document as IShellFolderViewDual ;
if (doc != null)
{
Debug.WriteLine(doc.Folder.Title);
foreach (FolderItem item in doc.SelectedItems())
{
Debug.WriteLine(item.Path);
}
}
}

You can do this with the shell automation interfaces. The basic process is to
Run Tlbimp on Shdocwv.dll and
Shell32.dll (or directly add a
reference from VS).
Create an
instance of the ShellWindows
collection and iterate. This will
contain both Windows Explorer and
Internet Explorer windows.
For
Windows Explorer windows, the
IWebBrowser2.Document property will
return a IShellFolderViewDual
reference.
The IShellFolderViewDual
has a SelectedItems method you can
query and an event for changes you
can handle.