Connection Methods

The Eriksson Beam API provides several ways to connect to Eriksson Beam, each suited to different use cases. This guide helps you choose the right approach.

Overview

Class	Use Case	Manages Process
ErikssonBeamLauncher	Start fresh instance with specific files	Yes
ErikssonBeamFinder	Find and connect to any running instance	No
ErikssonBeamClient	Connect to specific process by ID	No
ErikssonBeamFileManager	Batch file operations with auto-relaunch	Yes

Decision Guide

Scenario	Use This Class
Launch Eriksson Beam for batch file processing	`ErikssonBeamFileManager`
Launch Eriksson Beam for single/few files	`ErikssonBeamLauncher`
Connect to running instance (known Process ID)	`ErikssonBeamClient.AttemptConnection`
Connect to running instance (unknown Process ID)	`ErikssonBeamFinder`

Quick Comparison

ErikssonBeamLauncher

Best for: Starting automation from scratch, guaranteed clean state.

var args = new ErikssonBeamLauncherArgs
{
    LicenseKey = licenseKey,
    ExecutablePath = @"C:\...\ErikssonBeam.exe",
    FilesToOpen = new[] { @"C:\Projects\beam.ebf" },
    CloseErikssonBeamOnClientDisconnect = true
};

using var launcher = await ErikssonBeamLauncher.LaunchErikssonBeam(args);
var client = launcher.Client;

ErikssonBeamFinder

Best for: Connecting to user-launched Eriksson Beam instance.

var args = new ErikssonBeamConnectionAttemptArgs
{
    LicenseKey = licenseKey
};

var client = await ErikssonBeamFinder.GetFirstSupportedBeamClient(args);
// or
var client = await ErikssonBeamFinder.GetFirstClientWithFile("project.ebf", args);

ErikssonBeamClient

Best for: Connecting to a specific known process.

var args = new ErikssonBeamConnectionAttemptArgs
{
    LicenseKey = licenseKey,
    ProcessID = 12345  // Known process ID
};

var client = await ErikssonBeamClient.AttemptConnection(args);

ErikssonBeamFileManager

Best for: Processing many files with automatic handling of Eriksson Beam lifecycle.

var args = new ErikssonBeamLauncherArgs
{
    LicenseKey = licenseKey,
    ExecutablePath = @"C:\...\ErikssonBeam.exe"
};

using var fileManager = await ErikssonBeamFileManager.Initialize(args);
await fileManager.OpenFiles(new[] { "file1.ebf", "file2.ebf" });
var client = fileManager.Launcher.Client;

Important Notes

10-Minute Idle Timeout

Eriksson Beam only listens for API connections for 10 minutes after launch. This timeout:

Is not reset by manually interacting with the UI
Requires restarting Eriksson Beam to reset

If connections fail, restart Eriksson Beam and try again.

Disposal

Always dispose of connection objects properly:

// Using statement (recommended)
using var launcher = await ErikssonBeamLauncher.LaunchErikssonBeam(args);

// Or explicit disposal
var client = await ErikssonBeamFinder.GetFirstSupportedBeamClient(args);
try
{
    // Work with client...
}
finally
{
    client.Dispose();
}

Launcher vs Client Disposal

ErikssonBeamLauncher.Dispose(): Closes client AND optionally closes Eriksson Beam
ErikssonBeamClient.Dispose(): Only closes the client connection

Next Steps

ErikssonBeamLauncher - Launch fresh instances
ErikssonBeamFinder - Discover running instances
ErikssonBeamClient - Direct connection details
ErikssonBeamFileManager - Batch file operations