asked on

Program remains in memory after ShellExecute

My program launches the default Web browser and quits itself when the users press a button.

::ShellExecute(NULL, NULL, lpszUrl, NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWNORMAL);
this->PostMessage(WM_CLOSE); // I am using MFC, this is the frame window, the only window.

I tested it on Windows 95 with IE 4.01 sp1.

With the Browse in a new process setting of IE enabled:

If there is no IE browser running, pressing the button starts the browser, everything is fine. If there is an IE browser running, pressing the button switches to it with the specified URL, everything is fine except that my program remains in memory (it is there when I press Ctrl-Alt-Del) until I restart the system.

With the Browse in a new process setting of IE disabled:

My program remains in memory from the second time the button is pressed.

On Windows NT, the problem does not exist.

Any ideas how to solve this problem?

nietod

Why is your program still in memory? Does the close message get posted? Does it get received? Does the window get destroyed? Where does the this break down?

sergem

You shoul to send WM_QUIT message
PostAppMessage(WM_QUIT)

nietod

I think chensu is expecting the application to post the quite message (PostQuitMessage() when it closes the main window. That is the way most applications work. That is why I'm wondering if the main window closes.

chensu

ASKER

>Why is your program still in memory?
If I knew, I would not have asked this question.

>Does the close message get posted?
Yes.

>Does it get received?
Yes.

>Does the window get destroyed?
Yes.

>Where does the this break down?
The this window is a frame window. It does not exist anymore while the program is still in memory.

Please note that the problem occurs only in some cases. If I remove ShellExecute, everything is OK.

chensu

ASKER

After ShellExecute, the system sends my window the WM_DDE_INITIATE messages and sends another window (don't know where) the WM_DDE_ACK message (On Windows NT, no this message). At this point, if my main window has been closed, the problem comes out. The workaround is to delay for a while after ShellExecute. And only on Windows 95, there is always a First-chance exception in KERNEL32.DLL after the WM_DDE_ACK message no matter whether my main window is closed at that time.

The PostAppMessage function is obsolete in Win32. Win32-based applications should use the PostThreadMessage function. As nietod said, the application posts the WM_QUIT message (PostQuitMessage) when it closes the main window. The application does not receive the WM_QUIT message even if I send it explicitly when the problem described above is there.

chensu

ASKER

To demo the problem, I write a very simple program. Compile and try it. The program does not quit properly without ::Sleep(700). Is it a known problem on Windows 95?

#include <afxwin.h>

class CMyApp : public CWinApp
{
public:
virtual BOOL InitInstance();
};

class CMyWnd : public CFrameWnd
{
protected:
afx_msg void OnLButtonDown(UINT nFlags, CPoint point);

DECLARE_MESSAGE_MAP()
};

CMyApp theApp;

BOOL CMyApp::InitInstance()
{
CMyWnd *pWnd = new CMyWnd;
if (!pWnd->Create(NULL,
_T("My Window"),
WS_POPUP,
CRect(0, 0, 100, 100)))
return FALSE;

pWnd->ShowWindow(SW_SHOW);

m_pMainWnd = pWnd;

return TRUE;
}

BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CMyWnd, CFrameWnd)
ON_WM_LBUTTONDOWN()
END_MESSAGE_MAP()

void CMyWnd::OnLButtonDown(UINT nFlags, CPoint point)
{
      ::ShellExecute(NULL, NULL, _T("https://www.experts-exchange.com"),
                          NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWNORMAL);

      //::Sleep(700);

      this->PostMessage(WM_CLOSE);
}

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

abesoft

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abesoft

Sorry. I meant to say that you were opening a DDE conversation with IE, but then going away before the conversation is finished.

chensu

ASKER

Excellent! Thank you very much.

By the way, you must supply a valid window handle for the hwnd member of the SHELLEXECUTEINFO structure in this case.