EXE programming : should i use thread ?

[nono240]

Hi Champions,

Looking at some EXE examples(graphics in EXE for example), i wondered some things before beginning writing EXE :

While GUI applications needs Exit() to finish executing because they runs in a thread (right?), EXE, when executed, run from the E32Main() and die when they exits the "Main" : in the example above, the EXE draw rectangles on screen before exiting (right?)

How could it be possible to not die ? For example, to react to some events : i've an incoming call observer (CIncomingCallObserver) code working very well under GUI application, but i don't know how to deal within an EXE...

Should i instantiate an Active object before exiting the main in order to stay alive ?

Please post detailled answer since i'm very newbie

[wizard_hu_]

Sorry, no detailed answer.
In short: any approach you choose you will definitely need to get notifications from the Windowing Server ("redraw", "keypress occured", etc.). You also want to observe incoming calls. Every callback-like functionality originating from some server (like Windowing or Telephony Servers) requires you to have an active scheduler. And when you Start() CActiveScheduler, it will actually start to wait. In practice a CActiveScheduler::Start() is the main loop of every "interactive" (GUI or server) Symbian application. Start() is inherently invoked in case of GUI apps just after instantiating the AppUi class, and you can also call it from your executable:

GLDEF_C TInt E32Main()
{
    CTrapCleanup* cleanup=CTrapCleanup::New();
    TRAPD(error,MainL());
    delete cleanup;
    return 0;
}

LOCAL_C void MainL(void)
{
    CActiveScheduler *scheduler=new(ELeave)CActiveScheduler;
    CleanupStack::PushL(scheduler);
    CActiveScheduler::Install(scheduler);

    <You can create your active objects here and make them to wait for something>

    CActiveSheduler::Start();

    CActiveScheduler::Install(NULL);
    CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(); // scheduler
}

CActiveScheduler::Start() will not return until you invoke CActiveScheduler::Stop() somewhere. Thus it is important to wait for something before invoking Start().

[nono240]

Waow, thank you for answer, it's more clear for me (and it's enough detailled!).

Thank you, very usefull answer. You rock !