Singleton is not working

[Morthawt]

I have even taken the exact example from the manual and it still is not working. Every time it lets more copies run and the example keeps saying it is the first occurrence. Am I doing something wrong? I mean I even copied the example code to a new file without any change and still it is not working as I expect it to. I have used singleton more times than I can count without error but now  I cannot get it to work at all.

I would appreciate some help with this.

[mLipok]

Can you give some more info

• Windows Version ?
• AutoIt Version ?
• smallest Repro

 

mLipok

[Morthawt]

Windows 7 x64 Pro

v3.3.10.2

Smallest what?

If I take the exact example from the help file for _Singleton and compile it and run it on my computer and leave the message box open it keeps running more and more and more. I give it to a friend and it works fine and warns that there is another copy already running. If this is not consistent then how can I rely on it? I am trying to write something important for someone and now I have no idea what to do.

[mLipok]

I checked this on my

Windows 7 x64 Pro
v3.3.10.2

and

v3.3.12.0

 

For me it works well.

I have a question:

Do you run two times the same EXE file in the same way?

Or maybe once you run the EXE and once from the SciTE by using the F5 key.

[Morthawt]

I run the compiled exe, keeping everything on the screen. I have used this function many many times, I know how it works. It is just not working on my computer.

[iamtheky]

same issue, no idea what the problem is, there are a couple of threads where the solution is provide to just:  processlist, if your scriptname.exe is in that array then exit.  I've used that for years.

[mLipok]

I asked to be sure what were the conditions of the test.
At the moment I have no idea what could be the cause.

You have to wait for the response of other members.

mLipok

[guinness]

Look in my signature for _SingletonPID(). This does exactly the same thing and works.

[guinness]

same issue, no idea what the problem is, there are a couple of threads where the solution is provide to just:  processlist, if your scriptname.exe is in that array then exit.  I've used that for years.

What happens if I just copy the exe and rename it? Try it yourself.

[iamtheky]

Its not useful to fight it when there are reasonable alternatives, but I do think there are enough threads to say there is an issue, and the issue is the function is unreliable.  A year ago I would have maybe submitted a bug report, now I would just lobby for its removal.

Edit:  Unless there a debug version of singleton you could throw together? At least then it is not the eternally frustrating 'works on my machine' debacle.

Edited June 20, 2014 by boththose

[guinness]

Well I first would ask Morthawt to add a console write line with @error placed in between to see what error is returned (if any).

Edited June 20, 2014 by guinness

[iamtheky]

stole this from somewhere, its what i use at the top, I'll drag out my old machine that it never worked on and let you know the @error

$p = ProcessList(StringReplace(@ScriptName,".au3",".exe"))
If $p[0][0] > 1 Then
    MsgBox(0,"Error", @ScriptName & " is already running! Exiting...", 3)
    Exit
EndIf

Edited June 20, 2014 by boththose

[guinness]

That's not full proof by the way as I mentioned above.

[bogQ]

iif you need not to alow starting it more than once

If WinExists("autoit win") Then Exit MsgBox(0, AutoItWinGetTitle(), 'Already running, we will now exit')
AutoItWinSetTitle("autoit win")
MsgBox(0, AutoItWinGetTitle(), 'Im Alive')

if you need to exit older instance gracefully then listen to guinness i guess Edited June 20, 2014 by bogQ

[guinness]

if you need to exit older instance gracefully then listen to guinness i guess

Finally. -_0 People should understand that I have many function e.g. AppMonEx, _SingletonPID(), _SingltonHWID() & WM_COPYDATA that look at having a single instance of an application running. So I like to think I have some expertise in this area.

[iamtheky]

Sure but your expertise cannot explain why singleton fails in many independent tests carried out over many years.  So its awesome that you have workarounds, so do we.

In the land of unattended installations your concerns are not valid, as that edge case involves the user running my exe once, leaving it open, then unpacking the entire image changing my exe name and attempting to run it again.  I think I was fairly safe.

[guinness]

Well I am not a mind reader. I need some error message.

As for your workaround I am going to take a stab in the dark and say that Morthawt doesn't use the same system setup as you do.

Edited June 20, 2014 by guinness

[iamtheky]

I have two very similar machines in both hardware and software, singleton works fine on one and not on the other.  I am windiffing the autoit folders hoping to find gold.

*There is no error code, but i am finding a healthy amount of inconsistencies in the autoit directory.  I will send the file versions i return if it is reasonable to suspect autoit vs the system.

Edit for your edit:  I dont think anybody uses the same setup, which is why multiple threads about the same issue from long time users would sway me from believing it an isolated issue, and maybe tied to something we all had access to.  I admittedly had to keep an old version for production, maybe a certain version of some file is doing us a disservice.

*Looks like something from 3.3.6.1  (on Win 7 SP1 x64) , I will do further research and see if i can reproduce.

Edited June 20, 2014 by boththose

[guinness]

Well I use 8.1 x64 and so far I haven't seen this issue with _Singleton(). I also had 7 x64 and XP SP3 at some point, and that too worked fine.

[Morthawt]

Well I first would ask Morthawt to add a console write line with @error placed in between to see what error is returned (if any).

 

In both runs the @error reads 0

I only use functions that come with AutoIt because I do not like relying on third party external ones. Yes it is limiting but I just prefer it that way. If one becomes part of the AutoIt package and is an official component of the language then I use them if they are useful to me.

Edit: I updated to the latest AutoIt and Scite packages last night and I am still having the same issues.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Morthawt