What is the correct way to create a single-instance WPF application?

Question

Using C# and WPF under .NET (rather than Windows Forms or console), what is the correct way to create an application that can only be run as a single instance?

I kno

Answer 1

Here's a lightweight solution I use which allows the application to bring an already existing window to the foreground without resorting to custom windows messages or blindly searching process names.

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool SetForegroundWindow(IntPtr hWnd);

static readonly string guid = "";

static void Main()
{
    Mutex mutex = null;
    if (!CreateMutex(out mutex))
        return;

    // Application startup code.

    Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable(guid, null, EnvironmentVariableTarget.User);
}

static bool CreateMutex(out Mutex mutex)
{
    bool createdNew = false;
    mutex = new Mutex(false, guid, out createdNew);

    if (createdNew)
    {
        Process process = Process.GetCurrentProcess();
        string value = process.Id.ToString();

        Environment.SetEnvironmentVariable(guid, value, EnvironmentVariableTarget.User);
    }
    else
    {
        string value = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable(guid, EnvironmentVariableTarget.User);
        Process process = null;
        int processId = -1;

        if (int.TryParse(value, out processId))
            process = Process.GetProcessById(processId);

        if (process == null || !SetForegroundWindow(process.MainWindowHandle))
            MessageBox.Show("Unable to start application. An instance of this application is already running.");
    }

    return createdNew;
}

Edit: You can also store and initialize mutex and createdNew statically, but you'll need to explicitly dispose/release the mutex once you're done with it. Personally, I prefer keeping the mutex local as it will be automatically disposed of even if the application closes without ever reaching the end of Main.