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Cgu::Application Class Reference

This is a class for constructing and managing GtkApplication objects. More...

`#include <c++-gtk-utils/application.h>`

## Public Types
typedef std::list< WinBase * > ::size_type | size_type

## Public Member Functions
| Application (const Application &)=delete
Application & | operator= (const Application &)=delete
void | add (Cgu::WinBase *win)
bool | remove (Cgu::WinBase *win)
int | run (int argc, char **argv)
GApplication * | get_g_app () const
std::list< Cgu::WinBase * > | get_windows () const
size_type | get_win_count () const
| Application (const char *prog_name, GApplicationFlags flags)
| ~Application ()

## Public Attributes
Cgu::SafeEmitterArg < Cgu::Application * > | activate
Cgu::SafeEmitterArg < Cgu::Application * > | startup
Cgu::SafeEmitterArg < Cgu::Application *, GApplicationCommandLine *, gint & > | command_line
Cgu::SafeEmitterArg < Cgu::Application *, std::pair< GFile **, gint > , gchar * > | open

## Detailed Description

This is a class for constructing and managing GtkApplication objects.

It is available since version 2.0.0-rc2. It is only compiled in with a GTK+3 installation, and if the library is not configured with the --without-gtk option.

In typical usage, a Cgu::Application object is created in main(), and then a callback is attached to the 'activate', 'command_line' or 'open' emitter, depending on the flag passed to the Application object's constructor. The run() method of the Application object is then called, and a window deriving from Cgu::WinBase is constructed in the callback and added to the Application object or, if the program is a single instance program with only one main window and an instance is already running, a function is called to present that window.

The gio/gtk+ documentation at the time of writing does not explain key concepts, and in particular how the GtkApplication sub-class interacts with GApplication's g_application_run(). Here is an explanation:

  (a) If a Cgu::Application object is constructed with the G_APPLICATION_FLAGS_NONE flag set, then calling the Cgu::Application::run() method (which hands off to g_application_run()) will cause the 'activate' emitter to emit. No command line parameter should be passed to the run method (argc should be 0 or 1), otherwise GtkApplication will cause the start-up to abort. Unlike with gtk_main(), g_application_run() (and so Cgu::Application::run()) does not consume any recognised glib/gtk+ options, such as --display, but regards these as application parameters. Such stripping out can be achieved by calling gtk_init() before constructing the Cgu::Application object (but gtk_init() does not need to be called for any other purpose), or by using the GOptionGroup/GOptionEntry interface. g_application_run(), and so Cgu::Application::run(), can be called with argc and argv set to 0, and that is generally the best approach if the G_APPLICATION_FLAGS_NONE flag is set.

  (b) If a Cgu::Application object is constructed with the G_APPLICATION_HANDLES_OPEN flag set, then calling the Cgu::Application::run() method will cause the 'activate' emitter to emit if no command line parameters were provided when the program was started (that is, if argc is 0 or 1), or cause the 'open' emitter to emit if parameters are passed (argc > 1). Such parameters will be construed as files/uris, and will be passed to the 'open' emitter by array of GFile*'s. Unlike with gtk_main(), g_application_run() (and so Cgu::Application::run()) does not consume any recognised glib/gtk+ options, such as --display, but regards these as application parameters and so as file/uri names. Such stripping out can be achieved by calling gtk_init() before constructing the Cgu::Application object (but gtk_init() does not need to be called for any other purpose), or by using the GOptionGroup/GOptionEntry interface.

  (c) If a Cgu::Application object is constructed with the G_APPLICATION_HANDLES_COMMAND_LINE flag set, then calling the Cgu::Application::run() method will cause the 'command_line' emitter to emit. All the command line parameters will be passed on, and they can be obtained via the GApplicationCommandLine argument of the 'command_line' emitter. Unlike with gtk_main(), g_application_run() (and so Cgu::Application::run()) does not consume any recognised glib/gtk+ options, such as --display, but regards these as command line parameters. Such stripping out can be achieved by calling gtk_init() before constructing the Cgu::Application object (but gtk_init() does not need to be called for any other purpose), or by using the GOptionGroup/GOptionEntry interface.

There is little in this class that cannot also be done using the Cgu::prog_present interface, which has the advantage of being more portable (Cgu::prog_present does not depend on GTK+3), but this class is more convenient to use where a program requires multiple main application windows which can be independently opened and any of which are to keep the program alive until the last one is closed.

Cgu::Application objects are not singletons. It is possible to drop an Application object out of scope or destroy it in some other way after closing or removing all its windows, then construct another with a different flag and then call run() on the second one (although it would be a curious application that wanted to do so). It is also possible, but even more off-the-wall, to have two Application objects in existence in the same process at the same time provided different dbus identifiers are supplied to the constructor for each, although run() may only be called on one of them at any one time. However, this is something of a curiosity: in nearly all cases an application will only have one Cgu::Application object, since the main purpose of Cgu::Application is to facilitate single instance programs.

Cgu::WinBase objects, and so Cgu::Application, can be used with widget heirarchies or top level windows created using GtkBuilder. See Using c++-gtk-utils with GtkBuilder for particulars about that.

Here is a compilable example, demonstrating the use of the GApplicationFlags options:

#include <iostream>
#include <ostream>
#include <string>
#include <gtk/gtk.h>
#include <c++-gtk-utils/callback.h>
#include <c++-gtk-utils/application.h>
#include <c++-gtk-utils/window.h>
#include <c++-gtk-utils/shared_handle.h>
// SETUP HERE: uncomment the flag to be tested:
//const GApplicationFlags app_flag = G_APPLICATION_FLAGS_NONE;
const GApplicationFlags app_flag = G_APPLICATION_HANDLES_OPEN;
//const GApplicationFlags app_flag = G_APPLICATION_HANDLES_COMMAND_LINE;
using namespace Cgu;
// *** Demonstration message class ***
extern "C" void message_button_clicked(GtkWidget*, void*);
class Message: public Cgu::WinBase {
public:
friend void message_button_clicked(GtkWidget*, void*);
Message(const char* text);
};
void message_button_clicked(GtkWidget* w, void*) {
std::cout << "Clicked" << std::endl;
}
Message::Message(const char* text): WinBase{"Message", 0, false} {
GtkWidget* box = gtk_vbox_new(false, 2);
gtk_container_add(GTK_CONTAINER(get_win()), box);
GtkWidget* label = gtk_label_new(text);
gtk_box_pack_start(GTK_BOX(box), label,
true, false, 0);
GtkWidget* button_box = gtk_hbutton_box_new();
gtk_box_pack_start(GTK_BOX(box), button_box,
false, false, 0);
GtkWidget* button = gtk_button_new_from_stock(GTK_STOCK_OK);
gtk_container_add(GTK_CONTAINER(button_box), button);
g_signal_connect(G_OBJECT(button), "clicked",
G_CALLBACK(message_button_clicked), 0);
gtk_widget_set_can_default(button, true);
}
// *** callbacks ***
void activate(Cgu::Application* app) {
std::cout << "activate() called" << std::endl;
// probably if no arguments are passed, only one window is wanted,
// which is now to present itself if it already exists: comment this
// 'if' block out if a new window is to be added on each occasion
// the program is started
if (app->get_win_count() > 0) {
gtk_window_present(app->get_windows().front()->get_win());
return;
}
WinBase* dialog = new Message("This is a message");
app->add(dialog);
dialog->show_all();
}
void startup(Cgu::Application*) {
std::cout << "startup() called" << std::endl;
}
void command_line(Cgu::Application* app, GApplicationCommandLine* cl, gint&) {
std::cout << "command_line() called" << std::endl;
// probably if the G_APPLICATION_HANDLES_COMMAND_LINE flag is set,
// only one window is wanted, which is now to present itself if it
// already exists: comment this 'if' block out if a new window is to
// be added on each occasion the program is started
if (app->get_win_count() > 0) {
gtk_window_present(app->get_windows().front()->get_win());
return;
}
std::string text("Command line options are:\n");
int argc = 0;
gchar** argv = g_application_command_line_get_arguments(cl, &argc);
for (int count = 0; count < argc; ++count) {
try {
text += argv[count];
text += '\n';
}
catch (...) {
g_strfreev(argv);
throw; // exceptions will be consumed by the callback handler and
// a g_critical warning issued, but let's not leak memory
}
}
g_strfreev(argv);
WinBase* dialog = new Message(text.c_str());
app->add(dialog);
dialog->show_all();
}
void open(Cgu::Application* app, std::pair<GFile**, gint> files, gchar*) {
std::cout << "open() called" << std::endl;
// probably if the G_APPLICATION_HANDLES_OPEN flag is set and an
// argument is passed, the adding of a new window is wanted on each
// occasion the program is started
std::string text("Files are:\n");
for (int count = 0; count < files.second; ++count) {
GcharScopedHandle uri(g_file_get_uri(files.first[count]));
text += uri;
text += '\n';
}
WinBase* dialog = new Message(text.c_str());
app->add(dialog);
dialog->show_all();
}
// *** main() ***
int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
// gtk_init() is only relevant for the purposes of stripping out
// glib/gtk+ recognised options - gtk_application_new() (and so the
// Cgu::Application constructor) will call g_type_init() if the type
// system needs initialization
gtk_init(&argc, &argv);
Application app{"my_prog", app_flag};
app.activate.connect(Callback::make(activate));
app.startup.connect(Callback::make(startup));
app.command_line.connect(Callback::make(command_line));
app.open.connect(Callback::make(open));
if (app_flag == G_APPLICATION_FLAGS_NONE)
app.run(0, 0);
else
app.run(argc, argv);
return 0;
}

One thing to note about this example is that the callbacks connected to the Cgu::Application object always execute in the first instance of the program to be started (the instance in which Cgu::Application::run() blocks). If the program is then restarted, Cgu::Application::run() returns in the new program instance as soon as it has invoked the existing instance via dbus, following which the new program instance exits, so immediately disposing of the Cgu::Application object and callbacks which were constructed on the restart. This is a feature of GApplication/GtkApplication: given the overhead of starting a new process, and that restarting a single-instance program is in any event an exceptional event, any additional overhead created by constructing and then destroying the Cgu::Application object and callbacks in the new instance is trivial.

## Member Typedef Documentation

typedef std::list<WinBase*>::size_type Cgu::Application::size_type

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

Cgu::Application::Application | ( | const Application & | ) |  |
| delete

This class cannot be copied. The copy constructor is deleted.

Cgu::Application::Application | ( | const char * | prog_name,
|  | GApplicationFlags | flags
| ) |  |

This constructor will, via gtk_application_new(), cause g_type_init() to be called. If any GTK+ functions are to be called before an Application object is constructed, g_type_init() (or gtk_init()) must be called explicitly.

Parameters

  prog_name | An identifier name. This can comprise any valid ASCII characters "[A-Z][a-z][0-9]_-", although it is usually best to pass the program name. Unlike with gtk_application_new(), it does not need to comprise a full dbus bus name: this method will construct its own valid dbus bus name from prog_name in the org.cgu domain.
  flags | The GApplicationFlags to be passed to the Cgu::Application object. This class does not contain its own sub-class of GApplication to customize this, but adopts the behaviour of GtkApplication. That behaviour is explained in the introductory remarks.

Exceptions

  Cgu::ApplicationNameError | This exception will be thrown if the prog_name parameter does not meet the requirements referred to above.
  std::bad_alloc | This method might throw std::bad_alloc if memory is exhausted and the system throws in that case.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

Cgu::Application::~Application | ( | ) |  |
| inline

From version 2.0.0-rc3, as a safety feature the destructor removes any remaining WinBase objects associated with this Application object (this would only be relevant if the user constructs the Application object on free store, and then deletes it while the run() method is still blocking for the purpose of constructing a different Application object, but does not call the remove() method on all associated WinBase objects before doing so: constructing an Application object on free store in this way would be highly unusual however).

Since 2.0.0-rc3

## Member Function Documentation

void Cgu::Application::add | ( | Cgu::WinBase * | win) |  |

Add a Cgu::WinBase object to the Cgu::Application object, and so also add its managed GtkWindow object to the GtkApplication object. Any Cgu::WinBase object passed to this method should not normally be modal and must have been constructed on free store with the new expression, and will be self owning, although if it is removed from this Cgu::Application object with remove(), the delete expression can (and normally should) be called on it. If a delete event occurs on the WinBase object so that the WinBase object destroys itself (say, by clicking on the window's close/delete button), or it destroys itself in some other way (say, by calling the WinBase::close() method), it will automatically be removed from this Application object without further action being necessary. The WinBase::exec() method should never be called on a WinBase object which has been added to an Application object. The Cgu::Application class, and thus this method, does not employ mutexes to make it thread safe, as there should never be a reason to call Cgu::Application methods in other than the main GUI thread.

Parameters

  win | The Cgu::WinBase object to be added.

Exceptions

  std::bad_alloc | This method might throw std::bad_alloc if memory is exhausted and the system throws in that case.

Note
  As well as this method only being called in the main GUI thread, if the program by which it is called calls GTK+ directly in more than one thread and thus employs gdk_threads_enter()/gdk_threads_leave() (rather than, say, Cgu::Notifier or Cgu::Callback::post()), it must be surrounded by gdk_threads_enter()/gdk_threads_leave() if called otherwise than in a GTK+ signal handler. (The best approach however is for a program only to address GTK+/GDK in the main program thread, for which purpose this library provides various functions and classes for inter-thread communication, such as Cgu::Notifier and Cgu::Callback::post(): see Writing multi-threaded programs using c++-gtk-utils for particulars about GTK+ thread safety.)

Since 2.0.0-rc2

GApplication* Cgu::Application::get_g_app | ( | ) |  | const
| inline

Get the underlying GApplication object (note, not the GtkApplication object, although the GApplication object can be cast to GtkApplication), so allowing any of gio's g_application_*() functions to be applied to it. In normal usage it will not be necessary to call this method. This method is thread safe and will not throw.

Returns
  The underlying GApplication object.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

size_type Cgu::Application::get_win_count | ( | ) |  | const
| inline

Gets the current count of Cgu::WinBase objects associated with this Cgu::Application object. When it reaches 0, the application will normally end (but this can be prevented by calling g_application_hold()/g_application_release() on the GApplication object returned by get_g_app()). This method can be used in the callback of one of this class's emitters to determine whether this is the first instance of a program to be started (assuming the first instance calls add() to bring up a window), because in that case it will return 0 until add() is called. Calling get_windows().size() will give the same result, but using this method is more efficient as it will avoid a copy of the list of windows. This method will not throw assuming that calling std::list::size() does not throw (as it would not on any sane implementation). The Cgu::Application class, and thus this method, does not employ mutexes to make it thread safe, as there should never be a reason to call Cgu::Application methods in other than the main GUI thread.

Returns
  The number of Cgu::WinBase objects currently associated with this Cgu::Application object.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

std::list<Cgu::WinBase*> Cgu::Application::get_windows | ( | ) |  | const
| inline

Get the list of Cgu::WinBase objects associated with the application. The Cgu::Application class, and thus this method, does not employ mutexes to make it thread safe, as there should never be a reason to call Cgu::Application methods in other than the main GUI thread.

Returns
  A list of the top level Cgu::WinBase objects associated with the application, which will appear in the order in which they were added. If you need to access these, you will probably want to do a dynamic_cast or static_cast to the child type.

Exceptions

  std::bad_alloc | This method might throw std::bad_alloc if memory is exhausted and the system throws in that case.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

Application& Cgu::Application::operator= | ( | const Application & | ) |  |
| delete

This class cannot be copied. The assignment operator is deleted.

bool Cgu::Application::remove | ( | Cgu::WinBase * | win) |  |

Remove a Cgu::WinBase object from the Cgu::Application object, and so also remove its managed GtkWindow object from the GtkApplication object. This method will not throw assuming that merely iterating through a list does not throw (as it would not on any sane implementation). The Cgu::Application class, and thus this method, does not employ mutexes to make it thread safe, as there should never be a reason to call Cgu::Application methods in other than the main GUI thread. Calling this method does not destroy the WinBase object.

Parameters

  win | The Cgu::WinBase object to be removed.

Returns
  true if the Cgu::WinBase object was found in the Cgu::Application object and so removed, otherwise false.

Note
  As well as this method only being called in the main GUI thread, if the program by which it is called calls GTK+ directly in more than one thread and thus employs gdk_threads_enter()/gdk_threads_leave() (rather than, say, Cgu::Notifier or Cgu::Callback::post()), it must be surrounded by gdk_threads_enter()/gdk_threads_leave() if called otherwise than in a GTK+ signal handler. (The best approach however is for a program only to address GTK+/GDK in the main program thread, for which purpose this library provides various functions and classes for inter-thread communication, such as Cgu::Notifier and Cgu::Callback::post(): see Writing multi-threaded programs using c++-gtk-utils for particulars about GTK+ thread safety.)

Since 2.0.0-rc2

int Cgu::Application::run | ( | int | argc,
|  | char ** | argv
| ) |  |
| inline

Calls g_application_run() in respect of the underlying GtkApplication object, so invoking one of this Cgu::Application class's emitters (the exact behaviour depends on the GApplication flags passed to the constructor and is explained in the introductory remarks above). This method is thread safe (although that is irrelevant to its purpose) and will not throw. In addition, if a callback connected to an emitter throws, the exception is consumed and a g_critical warning issued. This function blocks until the last WinBase object associated with this Application object is destroyed or removed.

Parameters

  argc | The argc from main() or 0.
  argv | The argv from main() or 0.

Returns
  The exit status from g_application_run().

Since 2.0.0-rc2

## Member Data Documentation

Cgu::SafeEmitterArg<Cgu::Application*> Cgu::Application::activate

This SafeEmitterArg object emits (and so executes any connected callback) when the underlying GApplication object emits its activate signal. The argument passed to the emitter's callback(s) is a pointer to the Cgu::Application object.

Note
  When the callback executes, thread cancellation is blocked, and any exceptions are consumed with a g_critical message issued. The callback will always execute in the main GUI thread when executed in response to the run() method. Because a SafeEmitterArg object is used, the emitter object itself is thread safe.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

Cgu::SafeEmitterArg<Cgu::Application*, GApplicationCommandLine*, gint&> Cgu::Application::command_line

This SafeEmitterArg object emits (and so executes any connected callback) when the underlying GApplication object emits its command-line signal. The second argument passed to the emitter's callback(s) is the one passed by that signal, that is to say the arguments are:

first: a pointer to the Cgu::Application object.

second: a pointer to a GApplicationCommandLine object representing the passed command line (this is owned by gio and should not be unref'ed).

third: a gint& reference to which the value to be returned to the GApplication's command-line signal can be passed: if no value is assigned to it or no callback has been attached to the signal, 0 will be returned, except that if an exception from a callback is consumed, -1 will be returned. If more than one callback is attached to the signal and no exception is consumed, the last one to assign a value will be have its value returned.

Note
  When the callback executes, thread cancellation is blocked, and any exceptions are consumed with a g_critical message issued and a return value of -1 set. The callback will always execute in the main GUI thread when executed in response to the run() method. Because a SafeEmitterArg object is used, the emitter object itself is thread safe.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

Cgu::SafeEmitterArg<Cgu::Application*, std::pair<GFile**, gint>, gchar*> Cgu::Application::open

This SafeEmitterArg object emits (and so executes any connected callback) when the underlying GApplication object emits its open signal. The second and third arguments passed to the emitter's callback(s) are those passed by that signal, that is to say the arguments are:

first: a pointer to the Cgu::Application object.

second: a std::pair object where the first member is an array of GFile*'s representing the files/uris passed as arguments, and the second member is the length of that array (the array is owned by gio and should not be freed).

third: a gchar* argument comprising the text of the "hint" (this is owned by gio and should not be freed).

Note
  When the callback executes, thread cancellation is blocked, and any exceptions are consumed with a g_critical message issued. The callback will always execute in the main GUI thread when executed in response to the run() method. Because a SafeEmitterArg object is used, the emitter object itself is thread safe.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

Cgu::SafeEmitterArg<Cgu::Application*> Cgu::Application::startup

This SafeEmitterArg object emits (and so executes any connected callback) when the underlying GApplication object emits its startup signal. The argument passed to the emitter's callback(s) is a pointer to the Cgu::Application object. However, you usually won't need to do anything in response to the startup signal.

Note
  When the callback executes, thread cancellation is blocked, and any exceptions are consumed with a g_critical message issued. The callback will always execute in the main GUI thread when executed in response to the run() method. Because a SafeEmitterArg object is used, the emitter object itself is thread safe.

Since 2.0.0-rc2

The documentation for this class was generated from the following file:

- application.h