A way to launch external processes/servers during startup or later, and automatic shutdown of these processes when app exits

[GoogleCodeExporter]

User can execute applications using php's system() command or similar, but there is no easy way to end long running processes when phpdesktop application closes.

Option 1 - "execute_on_startup" in settings.json

User wants to run node.js server along with phpdesktop. That server should start when phpdesktop starts and shut down automatically when phpdesktop app exits.

Solution: In settings.json add option "execute_on_startup" which would be a list of .exe, allowed would be relative paths (phpdesktop dir) or full paths.

There is also an idea for "execute_on_shutdown" option, see Issue #186.

Option 2 - new JS API: phpdesktop.LaunchProcess()

While app runs user wants to run an external process. Currently this can be done using XMLHttpRequest to a php script that calls php's system() command or similar. Unfortunately there is no easy way to end this process when phpdesktop app exits. For example this process runs a long task, but user exits application early, so this process should be killed automatically.

Solution: Add new function to JavascriptApi: LaunchProcess(). It should have some options whether the app window should be hidden. Use the ShellExecuteEx function and save process handle (SHELLEXECUTEINFO.hProcess) for later to end the process when app exits.

ShellExecuteEx:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb762154(v=vs.85).aspx

SHELLEXECUTEINFO:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb759784(v=vs.85).aspx

Original issue reported on code.google.com by czarek.t...@gmail.com on 7 Mar 2015 at 8:34

[cztomczak]

Related: Issue #186 ("An option in settings.json to specify a path to a script or exe that will be executed when application shuts down").

[bkris]

Somebody knows something about this feature? Is this planned to be implemented or already does?

[cztomczak]

There is no known schedule for implementing this feature.

[cztomczak]

This functionality can be accomplished using NirCmd command-line utility, see:

1. NirCmd utility and its various exec commands: https://github.com/cztomczak/phpdesktop/wiki/Knowledge-Base#how-do-i-call-external-programs-or-commands-asynchronously-in-background-without-waiting-for-them-to-end

2. Example code for shutdown using "waitprocess" command in NirCmd: An option in settings.json to specify a path to a script or exe that will be executed when application shuts down #186 (comment)

[jal617b]

Another option is to use a script (Autohotkey or AutoIt etc) to create an app launcher.

ApplicationFolder
|AppLauncher.ahk // this can be compiled to .exe
| phpdesktopfolder
|__phpdesktop-chrome.exe

Contents of AppLauncher.ahk

Run, notepad.exe // whatever app you want to run
Run, phpdesktopfolder\phpdesktop-chrome.exe
WinSetTitle, PhpDesktop App //main_window title of your phpdesktop app based on settings.json
WinWait, PhpDesktop App  //wait until your app is closed
WinWaitClose  
Process, Close, notepad.exe
MsgBox, Notepad is now closed.

[avega93]

A solution that worked for me is to set the port on "listen_on" option dynamically, in the first page of the app run a ".bat" file that close all process that I created before, in my case python.exe process. After this, create the process that you need. But this only works to prevent crash on re-open. Not kill all the process after close. Sorry for my bad english.

[darkterminal]

I have pull example how to create Windows Print Service on start up and on shutdown application just feel free to take a look #305 maybe it's help you to know how it's work for me. I forgot to write settings.json value listen_on with fixed value in README.md example.