Listen for key press in .NET console app

Use Console.KeyAvailable so that you only call ReadKey when you know it won't block:

Console.WriteLine("Press ESC to stop");
do {
    while (! Console.KeyAvailable) {
        // Do something
   }       
} while (Console.ReadKey(true).Key != ConsoleKey.Escape);

The shortest way:

Console.WriteLine("Press ESC to stop");

while (!(Console.KeyAvailable && Console.ReadKey(true).Key == ConsoleKey.Escape))
{
    // do something
}

Console.ReadKey() is a blocking function, it stops the execution of the program and waits for a key press, but thanks to checking Console.KeyAvailable first, the while loop is not blocked, but running until the Esc is pressed.

You can change your approach slightly - use Console.ReadKey() to stop your app, but do your work in a background thread:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    var myWorker = new MyWorker();
    myWorker.DoStuff();
    Console.WriteLine("Press any key to stop...");
    Console.ReadKey();
}

In the myWorker.DoStuff() function you would then invoke another function on a background thread (using Action<>() or Func<>() is an easy way to do it), then immediately return.

From the video curse Building .NET Console Applications in C# by Jason Roberts at http://www.pluralsight.com

We could do following to have multiple running process

  static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Console.CancelKeyPress += (sender, e) =>
        {

            Console.WriteLine("Exiting...");
            Environment.Exit(0);
        };

        Console.WriteLine("Press ESC to Exit");

        var taskKeys = new Task(ReadKeys);
        var taskProcessFiles = new Task(ProcessFiles);

        taskKeys.Start();
        taskProcessFiles.Start();

        var tasks = new[] { taskKeys };
        Task.WaitAll(tasks);
    }

    private static void ProcessFiles()
    {
        var files = Enumerable.Range(1, 100).Select(n => "File" + n + ".txt");

        var taskBusy = new Task(BusyIndicator);
        taskBusy.Start();

        foreach (var file in files)
        {
            Thread.Sleep(1000);
            Console.WriteLine("Procesing file {0}", file);
        }
    }

    private static void BusyIndicator()
    {
        var busy = new ConsoleBusyIndicator();
        busy.UpdateProgress();
    }

    private static void ReadKeys()
    {
        ConsoleKeyInfo key = new ConsoleKeyInfo();

        while (!Console.KeyAvailable && key.Key != ConsoleKey.Escape)
        {

            key = Console.ReadKey(true);

            switch (key.Key)
            {
                case ConsoleKey.UpArrow:
                    Console.WriteLine("UpArrow was pressed");
                    break;
                case ConsoleKey.DownArrow:
                    Console.WriteLine("DownArrow was pressed");
                    break;

                case ConsoleKey.RightArrow:
                    Console.WriteLine("RightArrow was pressed");
                    break;

                case ConsoleKey.LeftArrow:
                    Console.WriteLine("LeftArrow was pressed");
                    break;

                case ConsoleKey.Escape:
                    break;

                default:
                    if (Console.CapsLock && Console.NumberLock)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine(key.KeyChar);
                    }
                    break;
            }
        }
    }
}

internal class ConsoleBusyIndicator
{
    int _currentBusySymbol;

    public char[] BusySymbols { get; set; }

    public ConsoleBusyIndicator()
    {
        BusySymbols = new[] { '|', '/', '-', '\\' };
    }
    public void UpdateProgress()
    {
        while (true)
        {
            Thread.Sleep(100);
            var originalX = Console.CursorLeft;
            var originalY = Console.CursorTop;

            Console.Write(BusySymbols[_currentBusySymbol]);

            _currentBusySymbol++;

            if (_currentBusySymbol == BusySymbols.Length)
            {
                _currentBusySymbol = 0;
            }

            Console.SetCursorPosition(originalX, originalY);
        }
    }