Question

ShowMessage in Service halts process

Asked by: markschenkel

I created a service (i.e. runs as a service, not an application).  I found afterwards it was calling a piece of code which had a showmessage contained in it.  Consequently it was halting continuation.

Short of ensuring my code does not contain any showmessages, are there any alternatives?  A lot of this code is used in win applications.


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Asked On
2009-03-29 at 13:36:37ID24275713
Tags

delphi

Topic

Delphi Curiosities

Participating Experts
3
Points
125
Comments
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Answers

 

by: pmunroPosted on 2009-03-29 at 13:49:23ID: 24014479

If you set the service to not interact with the desktop, this should stop the messages popping up and pausing the services running.

 

by: btframeworkPosted on 2009-03-29 at 14:45:22ID: 24014727

By default windows NT (4.0, 2000, XP, Vista) has "two" desktops. One is for user and other one is system. You may see the system desktop before login.
So any service in the system by default uses system desktop. You should switch it to user desktop before showing any messages, dialogs or something like that.
Any way, take a look at this please: http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1050538.html

 

by: Geert_GruwezPosted on 2009-03-30 at 06:58:32ID: 24018951

create a unit with a ShowMessage procedure/function which you let it call Dialogs when in an ordinary app or logs the message to file when in a service application

unit AppMessenger;
 
interface
 
implementation
 
uses Dialogs, SvcMgr;
 
const
  ServiceAppName = 'ServiceApp';
 
  fServiceApp: integer = 0;
  fEventLogger: TEventLogger = nil;
 
function IsServiceApp: boolean;
begin
  if fServiceApp = 0 then
  begin
    if Assigned(SvcMgr.Application) then
    begin
      fServiceApp := 2;
      fEventLogger := TEventLogger.Create(ServiceAppName);
    end else
      FServiceApp := 1;
  end;
  Result := fServiceApp = 2;
end;
 
procedure ShowMessage(const Msg: string);
begin
  if IsServiceApp then
    fEventLogger.LogMessage(Msg)
  else
    Dialogs.ShowMessage(Msg);
end;
 
end.
                                              
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by: markschenkelPosted on 2009-03-31 at 11:49:49ID: 24032214

<<If you set the service to not interact with the desktop, this should stop the messages popping up and pausing the services running.>>
I experimented with this setting.  When it is unchecked the service simply hangs (I guess it is probably displaying a message on the desktop btframework alludes to).  But when checked it displays the showmessage on the desktop (and of course halts the app).

I have seen similar like solutions to Geert_Gruwez.  What I was hoping for was a solution which would detect any showmessages at compile time.  Is it possible to detect if ShowMessage is compiled??? (assuming if it is not used the optimizer removes it)

Ultimately I guess this rests with cautious/careful coding practices.  

 

by: Geert_GruwezPosted on 2009-04-01 at 00:49:05ID: 24036745

it will allways be compiled when you use the dialogs unit
the trick is to fool delphi to use your own unit by placing it last in the uses list

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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