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 Post subject: "Do not launch multiple sessions of the same application"
PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:35 pm 
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Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 12:51 pm
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Hi, the setting for "Do not launch multiple sessions of the same application" never works whens using a hotkey when the already launched program does not have focus: multiple instance will be launched with each press of the hotkey combination. I also noticed that if ANY program has focus, then using hotkeys does not work. I have to click on the desktop so that focus is removed from any program that had focus, only then does the hotkey work.

So the only way to prevent launch of multiple sessions is to have focus in a program. And the only way to launch a program using hotkeys is to NOT have focus in any program (for example click on the desktop to remove focus from any window that has it). I dont think this can be intended behavior. Using the hotkey should simply launch the program no matter what focus is, unless the "Do not launch multiple sessions" settings is enabled, then it should never launch another instance of the program, again it should not depend on whether programs has focus?


With mouseclicks the problems are a little bit different: When using mouseclick on the programs dock icon will usually prevent another instance of the application, but sometimes it doesn't. I noticed that one of the reasons can be a fast accidental doubleclick, this can be avoided by the user I guess, just dont doubleclick. But I think it should be easy to programmatically code Nexus's behavior to ignore additional mouseclicks on the icon. However at other times, and I am not sure why this happens, the program will be launched just by a single click even when the program is already launched and running for some time.

I think these problems sounds like bugs, but if it is me doing something wrong here, I would be happy to know what I can do to avoid it so that multiple instances will never be launched when the setting is enabled.

Also if someone could help me with changing the following behaviour:
When the "Do not launch multiple sessions" setting seems to work as intended then clicking on the mouse icon if another instance is already launched will instead minimize/maximise the program window. However I need to have the windows stay as they are, so is there any way to prevent the program from minimizing/maximizing when clicking on the dock icon for the program?

Thanks in advance for any help!


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 Post subject: Re: "Do not launch multiple sessions of the same application
PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:45 pm 
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Jayman1000 wrote:
Hi, the setting for "Do not launch multiple sessions of the same application" never works whens using a hotkey when the already launched program does not have focus: multiple instance will be launched with each press of the hotkey combination.


True. The hotkey launch mechanism is completely separate and independent of the normal 'click to launch' mechanism, and as such does not perform the same checks the latter does.

I'm actually not sure if this isn't a good thing? Wonder what others have to say about this.

Jayman1000 wrote:
I also noticed that if ANY program has focus, then using hotkeys does not work. I have to click on the desktop so that focus is removed from any program that had focus, only then does the hotkey work.


Ah, but this is NOT how it works. Not sure what is going on there, but the hotkey mechanism is always 'listening' to global key presses, it does not care which application currently has the focus.

It will only NOT activate a hotkey (the same way edge bumps, etc, are also disabled) if it thinks a full screen application (such as a game) is currently running. Perhaps this is what is happening there?

Jayman1000 wrote:
I noticed that one of the reasons can be a fast accidental doubleclick, this can be avoided by the user I guess, just dont doubleclick.


There you go, just don't double click. The Winstep application launches other applications asynchronously, so when the second click is processed the first instance is still in the process of being launched, and is thus not yet detected as 'already running'.

Please note that a double click can be used to by-pass the 'Do not launch multiple sessions...' setting (as well as pressing the SHIFT key when single left clicking).

Jayman1000 wrote:
However at other times, and I am not sure why this happens, the program will be launched just by a single click even when the program is already launched and running for some time.


Find the pattern. I'm pretty sure there will be a valid reason.


Jayman1000 wrote:
When the "Do not launch multiple sessions" setting seems to work as intended then clicking on the mouse icon if another instance is already launched will instead minimize/maximise the program window.


By 'maximize' I assume you mean 'restore' ?

Anyway, this makes me think you usually run applications maximized, and some applications idea of 'maximized' is actually running as 'full screen'. This might explain your experience above.

Jayman1000 wrote:
However I need to have the windows stay as they are, so is there any way to prevent the program from minimizing/maximizing when clicking on the dock icon for the program?


This behavior is the same as that of the Windows taskbar: if a window is not currently in focus, a click on its icon will bring it forward. If it is already in focus, it is minimized instead. If currently minimized, then it's restored and brought to the foreground.

Anyway, open Preferences and go to the Tasks tab, then click the 'Advanced' button. At the bottom you will find a way to define what the clicks do, that section is intended for running applications on the *right side* of the dock but it might also work with applications on the left side of the dock when the 'combine dock icons with running applications' setting is enabled.

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Jorge Coelho
Winstep Xtreme - Xtreme Power!
http://www.winstep.net - Winstep Software Technologies


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 Post subject: Re: "Do not launch multiple sessions of the same application
PostPosted: Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:38 pm 
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Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 12:51 pm
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Sorry, yes I meant minimizing/restore, not maximizing. Those programs are defiantly not fullscreen though, they are windowed. It is many different types of applications it happens with, both games and music players etc. Curiously Notepad can always be launched with hotkey no matter what has focus or not, but then again, additional notepad instances will ALWAYS be launched regardless of the "do not launch multiple sessions" setting, so Notepad seems like a special case that just isnt affected by any of Nexus settings.

In case it IS the fullscreen check that causes problems, is it possible to disable that fulscreen criterium? I setup complex hotkeys I would never press accidentally, like shift-alt-ctrl-B etc, do I do not need the dock to check for fullscreen.

Maybe I can record a video to show exactly what happens.


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