Error starting a process from asp page

[jthieret]

I have a asp page that, on handling a certain event, is trying to use Process.Start to start another application running.

 

This other application is a small application containing a windows form. on this form is an old ActiveX graph control. The purpose of the form is to plot some data on the graph and then copy the graph image to a gif. This application works fine when run by itself or from another windows application using Process.Start.

 

But, when run from an asp page with Process.Start, the form throws a TypeInitialization exception on the ActiveX control.

 

2 questions:

 

1. Any ideas on what is going wrong?

 

2. Is it considered ok to have an asp page spawn another process, especially if this other process has a user interface (even if the user-interface requires no user interaction, i.e., it closes itself)?

[mutant]

Are you trying to start a process on the client computer? ASP.NET cant do that, by using process start you are staring a process on the server computer.

[jthieret]

No, the process is to run on the server. Altho, since this is a development station, both client and server are the same physical computer.

[jthieret]

ok, so now I have created a new windows application with a completely empty form. It behaves exactly like the original graph form when called from an asp page.

 

It says:

 

An unhandled exception of type 'System.TypeInitializationException' occurred in system.drawing.dll

 

Additional information: The type initializer for "System.Drawing.SafeNativeMethods" threw an exception.

 

Is this a security problem?