How to speed up a WindowsForms Application startup

Question

I have written some applications of type Windows Forms Application (GUI apps) and those applications can be launched/called from console instead of use the graphical interface, I mean it can be used both as GUI or as CLI.

The problem that I always have seen in this kind of "hybrid" apps is that a WinForms application that has CLI supports it takes a lot more time to initialize when the app is called from the CMD than a normal Console Application, I suppose that this is because the need to load the (GUI) form.

...So, I would like to speed up the initialization/startup of my winforms apps when are used directly from the commandline.

At the moment I'm doing it through the Application.Startup event, but I would like to know if there is a more friendly way to avoid/suspend the Load event of the form when the alternative usage of the application tells that is not required to load a form because the app is gonna be used from the console.

To understand better my problem I will share some images...

This is the Graphical User Interface on my application:

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/3397/kj5a.png

And this is the Command-line Interface:

When the program is called from the console it takes a lot of time to show the displayed console help because the application loads the form.

BUT AS I SAID I SOLVED THIS ISSUE BY USING THE APPLICATION.STARTUP EVENT:

Imports Reg2Bat.Main

Namespace My

    Partial Friend Class MyApplication

        Private Sub CLI() Handles MyBase.Startup

            ' Call the method that parses the CLI arguments (if any),
            ' this is done before loading the form to speed up the CLI startup.
            ParseCLIArguments()

        End Sub

    End Class

End Namespace

...I just would like to know if exists a better way to avoid the form load event without touching the application events.

Answer 1

If you set the project startup method to Sub Main instead of FormX a static Sub Main (in a module) will run. You can write it as:

 Sub Main(argv As String()) 

to grab the commandline already parsed there. Presumably, if there IS a command line, you can go the CLI route, else instance and start in WinForms mode.

Public Sub Main(argv As String())
    If argv.Length >0 Then
        ' parse and run CLI mode (?)
    Else
        Application.EnableVisualStyles
        Application.Run(new FormMain)
    End If
End Sub

See also: https://stackoverflow.com/a/20301831/1070452

Answer 2

Alternative solution as said by @Plutonix:

At the project properties page uncheck "Enable application framework" to be able to load a Winforms (GUI) app from a module, otherwise I can't select any Main sub from a module.

And then write a module with the desired instructions to perform...for example:

''' <summary>
''' The CLI Class where are defined the CLI methods and other CLI things.
''' </summary>
Module CLI

    ''' <summary>
    ''' Defines the entry point of the application.
    ''' </summary>
    Public Sub Main()

        If My.Application.CommandLineArgs.Count <> 0 Then

            ' Attach the console.
            NativeMethods.AttachConsole(-1)

            ' Call the method that parses the CLI arguments (if any),
            ' this is done before loading the GUI form to speed up the CLI startup.
            ParseCLIArguments()

        Else

            ' Any argument was passed so I show the GUI form.
            GUI.ShowDialog()

        End If

    End Sub

''' <summary>
''' Parses the Command-Line arguments.
''' </summary>
Private sub ParseCLIArguments
    ...
End Sub

End Module