SingleApplication ================= This is a replacement of the QtSingleApplication for `Qt5`. Keeps the Primary Instance of your Application and kills each subsequent instances. It can (if enabled) spawn secondary (non-related to the primary) instances and can send data to the primary instance from secondary instances. Usage ----- The `SingleApplication` class inherits from whatever `Q[Core|Gui]Application` class you specify via the `QAPPLICATION_CLASS` macro (`QCoreApplication` is the default). Further usage is similar to the use of the `Q[Core|Gui]Application` classes. The library sets up a `QLocalServer` and a `QSharedMemory` block. The first instance of your Application is your Primary Instance. It would check if the shared memory block exists and if not it will start a `QLocalServer` and listen for connections. Each subsequent instance of your application would check if the shared memory block exists and if it does, it will connect to the QLocalServer to notify the primary instance that a new instance had been started, after which it would terminate with status code `0`. In the Primary Instance `SingleApplication` would emit the `instanceStarted()` signal upon detecting that a new instance had been started. The library uses `stdlib` to terminate the program with the `exit()` function. You can use the library as if you use any other `QCoreApplication` derived class: ```cpp #include #include int main( int argc, char* argv[] ) { SingleApplication app( argc, argv ); return app.exec(); } ``` To include the library files I would recommend that you add it as a git submodule to your project and include it's contents with a `.pri` file. Here is how: ```bash git submodule add git@github.com:itay-grudev/SingleApplication.git singleapplication ``` Then include the `singleapplication.pri` file in your `.pro` project file. Also don't forget to specify which `QCoreApplication` class your app is using if it is not `QCoreApplication`. ```qmake include(singleapplication/singleapplication.pri) DEFINES += QAPPLICATION_CLASS=QApplication ``` The `Instance Started` signal ------------------------ The SingleApplication class implements a `instanceStarted()` signal. You can bind to that signal to raise your application's window when a new instance had been started, for example. ```cpp // window is a QWindow instance QObject::connect( &app, &SingleApplication::instanceStarted, &window, &QWindow::raise ); ``` Using `SingleApplication::instance()` is a neat way to get the `SingleApplication` instance for binding to it's signals anywhere in your program. __Note:__ On Windows the ability to bring the application windows to the foreground is restricted. See [Windows specific implementations](Windows.md) for a workaround and an example implementation. Secondary Instances ------------------- If you want to be able to launch additional Secondary Instances (not related to your Primary Instance) you have to enable that with the third parameter of the `SingleApplication` constructor. The default is `false` meaning no Secondary Instances. Here is an example of how you would start a Secondary Instance send a message with the command line arguments to the primary instance and then shut down. ```cpp int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { SingleApplication app( argc, argv, true ); if( app.isSecondary() ) { app.sendMessage( app.arguments().join(' ')).toUtf8() ); app.exit( 0 ); } return app.exec(); } ``` *__Note:__ A secondary instance won't cause the emission of the `instanceStarted()` signal by default. See `SingleApplication::Mode` for more details.* You can check whether your instance is a primary or secondary with the following methods: ```cpp app.isPrimary(); // or app.isSecondary(); ``` *__Note:__ If your Primary Instance is terminated a newly launched instance will replace the Primary one even if the Secondary flag has been set.* API --- ### Members ```cpp SingleApplication::SingleApplication( int &argc, char *argv[], bool allowSecondary = false, Options options = Mode::User, int timeout = 100 ) ``` Depending on whether `allowSecondary` is set, this constructor may terminate your app if there is already a primary instance running. Additional `Options` can be specified to set whether the SingleApplication block should work user-wide or system-wide. Additionally the `Mode::SecondaryNotification` may be used to notify the primary instance whenever a secondary instance had been started (disabled by default). `timeout` specifies the maximum time in milliseconds to wait for blocking operations. *__Note:__ `argc` and `argv` may be changed as Qt removes arguments that it recognizes.* *__Note:__ `Mode::SecondaryNotification` only works if set on both the primary and the secondary instance.* *__Note:__ Operating system can restrict the shared memory blocks to the same user, in which case the User/System modes will have no effect and the block will be user wide.* --- ```cpp bool SingleApplication::sendMessage( QByteArray message, int timeout = 100 ) ``` Sends `message` to the Primary Instance. Uses `timeout` as a the maximum timeout in milliseconds for blocking functions --- ```cpp bool SingleApplication::isPrimary() ``` Returns if the instance is the primary instance. --- ```cpp bool SingleApplication::isSecondary() ``` Returns if the instance is a secondary instance. --- ```cpp quint32 SingleApplication::instanceId() ``` Returns a unique identifier for the current instance. --- ```cpp qint64 SingleApplication::primaryPid() ``` Returns the process ID (PID) of the primary instance. ### Signals ```cpp void SingleApplication::instanceStarted() ``` Triggered whenever a new instance had been started, except for secondary instances if the `Mode::SecondaryNotification` flag is not specified. --- ```cpp void SingleApplication::receivedMessage( quint32 instanceId, QByteArray message ) ``` Triggered whenever there is a message received from a secondary instance. --- ### Flags ```cpp enum SingleApplication::Mode ``` * `Mode::User` - The SingleApplication block should apply user wide. This adds user specific data to the key used for the shared memory and server name. This is the default functionality. * `Mode::System` – The SingleApplication block applies system-wide. * `Mode::SecondaryNotification` – Whether to trigger `instanceStarted()` even whenever secondary instances are started. * `Mode::ExcludeAppPath` – Excludes the application path from the server name (and memory block) hash. * `Mode::ExcludeAppVersion` – Excludes the application version from the server name (and memory block) hash. *__Note:__ `Mode::SecondaryNotification` only works if set on both the primary and the secondary instance.* *__Note:__ Operating system can restrict the shared memory blocks to the same user, in which case the User/System modes will have no effect and the block will be user wide.* --- Versioning ---------- Each major version introduces either very significant changes or is not backwards compatible with the previous version. Minor versions only add additional features, bug fixes or performance improvements and are backwards compatible with the previous release. See [`CHANGELOG.md`](CHANGELOG.md) for more details. Implementation -------------- The library is implemented with a QSharedMemory block which is thread safe and guarantees a race condition will not occur. It also uses a QLocalSocket to notify the main process that a new instance had been spawned and thus invoke the `instanceStarted()` signal and for messaging the primary instance. Additionally the library can recover from being forcefully killed on *nix systems and will reset the memory block given that there are no other instances running. License ------- This library and it's supporting documentation are released under `The MIT License (MIT)` with the exception of the Qt calculator examples which is distributed under the BSD license.