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