Re: Please explain "Always Running" mentality of Windows CE

From: David D Webb (spivey_at_nospam.post.com)
Date: 08/13/04 

Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 11:09:58 -0400

What event should I look for in .NETCF for an application de-activating?

-D

"The PocketTV Team" <do-not-reply-by-email@pockettv.com> wrote in message
news:O5xvKYOgEHA.3948@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> I think well-programmed applications should close all the resources,
opened
> files, opened databases etc, as soon as they are de-activated, and
re-opened
> them when re-activated.
>
> That's exactly what we do in PocketTV.
>
> If that was the case, then you would not have the type of problem that you
> describe.
>
> Before, when we did not close the currently opened file when de-activated,
> people would call us to complain that they cannot delete the MPEG file or
> download a new one with the same name. We had to explain them that it was
> because the file was currently opened by the applications. Then they
would
> ask why, since they close the applications. Then we would have to explain
> that tapping the X button does not really close the applications, it justs
> de-activates it and hides it.
>
> Basically, when an application is de-activated, it should behave as much
as
> possible like if it was closed (i.e. process terminated), i.e. it should
> release all opened resources and save its state.
>
> When the application is activated, it should re-open all the system
> resources that it needs.
>
> The only difference between re-activating a de-activated app and starting
> the app is that it is faster, because all the initialization is already
> performed. That's the only difference that should be visible to the user.
>
> Unfortunately MSFT does a very poor job of explaining all that to
> developers, so most developers don't know what to do when the application
is
> de-activated (i.e. "minimized"). The vast majority of applications do not
> close/release theyr resources, for example, and that's a sin. But MSFT
has
> no way to "enforce" good behavior.
>
> Basically, MSFT's system works well only if all the applications follow a
> number of guidelines, but they have no way to enforce this, so their
system
> does not work very well, because many apps (including some from MSFT)
don't
> follow the guidelines as they should.
>
>
> "David D Webb" <spivey@nospam.post.com> wrote in message
> news:%23541zfLgEHA.3320@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > I plan to give a real close button in my app and an Exit menu option,
but
> > its all of the other apps running that worry me. The more apps that are
> > running, the more likely something will go wrong or some resource will
be
> > left open or some process will drain the system.
> >
> > For example, my app uses an SQLCE database file. If a user clicks on
that
> > database file and has SQL Analyzer installed, Analyzer will open the
file.
> > Analyzer has an X icon instead of an OK icon, so it only truely closes
if
> > you select the menu option to exit. If they just click the X, that
> database
> > file is left open and my app can't attach to it.
> >
> > Why didn't they just do like Windows, and provide a close (X) and a
> minimize
> > (_) button. Why the heck is X minimize??
> >
> > And I thought Palm was frustrating.... (-;
>
>