× The internal search function is temporarily non-functional. The current search engine is no longer viable and we are researching alternatives.
As a stop gap measure, we are using Google's custom search engine service.
If you know of an easy to use, open source, search engine ... please contact support@midrange.com.



Hi Lim,

Are you saying that the alarm() api can actually wake up an in-active
program (ended with *inlr = *off)? That would be cool if this is true
:).

Yes, any signal (not just alarm) can be sent to code that's activated, but dormant, in a job.

Personally, I have a program that does this. It runs as the user's initial program when they sign on, and it sets up a signal handling procedure for the SIGALRM signal, and installs an interval timer (with the setitimer() API) to send SIGALRM every 60 seconds. (It also registers a procedure to disable the timer when the activation group ends.) The program then ends (I can't remember whether LR is off, though... LR really has little to do with it, since it was compiled with DFTACTGRP(*NO))

This program runs in it's own activation group, and the subprocedure (the signal handler) wakes up every 60 seconds to check if there are new EDI orders (Which is the purpose of this particular program). If there are, it interrupts the user's 5250 session to tell them about the new EDI orders. (it pops up a "window" so to speak)

If I want to disable this program, I simply reclaim the activation group, since it runs in it's own AG, that won't affect anything else.

Anyway, while AG remains the loaded, the signal is still sent every 60 seconds, and it still runs the procedure, even after the program has ended. The user can still run other things, and go about their work, without even really knowing that it's there and running (until the message pops up telling them about the new EDI orders, that is.)

Of course, if I had to do it over again, I'd probably use a Windows program instead of a green screen RPG one, I'd just load it in the system tray on their desktop... That makes more sense today, since I'm trying to avoid writing more green screen apps, and hopefully they will eventually reach a point where they don't sign on to 5250...

But, the point is... it's certainly possible to keep an RPG program running in the background via signals.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This thread ...

Follow-Ups:
Replies:

Follow On AppleNews
Return to Archive home page | Return to MIDRANGE.COM home page

This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].

Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.