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Open file in already opened app instead of launching a second copy [message #25970]

Mon, 22 March 2010 17:39

mdelfede
Messages: 1308
Registered: September 2007

Ultimate Contributor

I wonder how that can be done...
I have a multi-document application; when it's already running I'd like, if double clicking on another document, to have the app loading the second document instead of launching a new app instance.
On Linux I did (some time ago) with my Bazaar Signals package, to tell opened app instance to load the new file before exiting.
On Windows I've no hints about....

Ciao

Max

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Re: Open file in already opened app instead of launching a second copy [message #25971 is a reply to message #25970]

Mon, 22 March 2010 19:36

koldo
Messages: 3435
Registered: August 2008

Senior Veteran

mdelfede wrote on Mon, 22 March 2010 17:39

Hello Massimo

From this post.

First version (Windows only):

#include <CtrlLib/CtrlLib.h>
using namespace Upp;

class UniqueWindow : public TopWindow
{
public:
	typedef UniqueWindow CLASSNAME;
	UniqueWindow() {
		Title("SingleApp Test");
	}
	bool IsSingleApp() {
		if(::FindWindow(NULL, GetTitle().ToString())) 
			return false;
		return true;
	}
};

GUI_APP_MAIN
{
	if (!UniqueWindow().IsSingleApp()) {
		Exclamation("Another instance of application already exists!");
		return;
	}	
	UniqueWindow().Run();
}

Second version (Windows and Linux). It requires SysInfo:

#include <CtrlLib/CtrlLib.h>
#include <SysInfo/SysInfo.h>
using namespace Upp;

class UniqueWindow : public TopWindow
{
public:
	typedef UniqueWindow CLASSNAME;
	UniqueWindow() {
		Title("SingleApp Test");
	}
	bool IsSingleApp() {
		if(GetWindowIdFromCaption(GetTitle().ToString()) > 0) 
			return false;
		return true;
	}
};

GUI_APP_MAIN
{
	if (!UniqueWindow().IsSingleApp()) {
		Exclamation("Another instance of application already exists!");
		return;
	}	
	UniqueWindow().Run();
}

Only change is to add #include <SysInfo/SysInfo.h> and instedad of FindWindow() I have used GetWindowIdFromCaption().

Best regards
Iñaki

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Re: Open file in already opened app instead of launching a second copy [message #25973 is a reply to message #25971]

Mon, 22 March 2010 20:49

koldo
Messages: 3435
Registered: August 2008

Senior Veteran

koldo wrote on Mon, 22 March 2010 19:36

mdelfede wrote on Mon, 22 March 2010 17:39

Hello Massimo

From this post.

First version (Windows only):

#include <CtrlLib/CtrlLib.h>
using namespace Upp;

class UniqueWindow : public TopWindow
{
public:
	typedef UniqueWindow CLASSNAME;
	UniqueWindow() {
		Title("SingleApp Test");
	}
	bool IsSingleApp() {
		if(::FindWindow(NULL, GetTitle().ToString())) 
			return false;
		return true;
	}
};

GUI_APP_MAIN
{
	if (!UniqueWindow().IsSingleApp()) {
		Exclamation("Another instance of application already exists!");
		return;
	}	
	UniqueWindow().Run();
}

Second version (Windows and Linux). It requires SysInfo:

#include <CtrlLib/CtrlLib.h>
#include <SysInfo/SysInfo.h>
using namespace Upp;

class UniqueWindow : public TopWindow
{
public:
	typedef UniqueWindow CLASSNAME;
	UniqueWindow() {
		Title("SingleApp Test");
	}
	bool IsSingleApp() {
		if(GetWindowIdFromCaption(GetTitle().ToString()) > 0) 
			return false;
		return true;
	}
};

GUI_APP_MAIN
{
	if (!UniqueWindow().IsSingleApp()) {
		Exclamation("Another instance of application already exists!");
		return;
	}	
	UniqueWindow().Run();
}

Only change is to add #include <SysInfo/SysInfo.h> and instedad of FindWindow() I have used GetWindowIdFromCaption().

This could be improved using GetWindowsList(), so it is possible to compare our program file name and caption with all running processes.

Best regards
Iñaki

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Re: Open file in already opened app instead of launching a second copy [message #25978 is a reply to message #25973]

Mon, 22 March 2010 23:25

mdelfede
Messages: 1308
Registered: September 2007

Ultimate Contributor

Thank you, Koldo Smile

But now the problem is that second application should "send" to first one it's command line, so if I doubleclick a file it'll open on the first running instance.

Example, filea a.myapp and b.myapp

I doubleclick on a.myapp, the application opens and loads a.myapp file

then I doubleclick on b.myapp, the app start, discovers that another instance is running, "sends" its command line to the running instance and leave, so running instance can open the second file.
I can do on Linux, but I'd like a portable way....

Ciao

Max

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Re: Open file in already opened app instead of launching a second copy [message #25989 is a reply to message #25978]

Tue, 23 March 2010 21:58

koldo
Messages: 3435
Registered: August 2008

Senior Veteran

mdelfede wrote on Mon, 22 March 2010 23:25

Thank you, Koldo Smile

Well, at least you can know which is the application you have to communicate with Smile

Best regards
Iñaki

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Re: Open file in already opened app instead of launching a second copy [message #25991 is a reply to message #25989]

Tue, 23 March 2010 23:16

mdelfede
Messages: 1308
Registered: September 2007

Ultimate Contributor

koldo wrote on Tue, 23 March 2010 21:58

Well, at least you can know which is the application you have to communicate with Smile

Eheheh.. right.
I found 2 solutions, one for windows and one for linux, but they've quite different approaches and requires some low-level CtrlCore stuffs.

IMHO the end solution would be to have a call to PostCallback() with the command line of second instance fired on first instance.
That would allow any handling without disturbing the app in the middle of some operations.

Ciao

Max

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Re: Open file in already opened app instead of launching a second copy [message #25992 is a reply to message #25991]

Tue, 23 March 2010 23:34

dolik.rce
Messages: 1791
Registered: August 2008
Location: Czech Republic

Ultimate Contributor

Hi Max,

Simple IPC class I wrote some time ago could solve your problem. There were some problems I don't have time to fix right now... But most of them are in the both way version and your problem can be solved in simple client-server mode. If you are adventurous enough, have a look in this thread Wink