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"Not Responding" - how to prevent

 
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wahorger



Joined: 13 Oct 2014
Posts: 1217
Location: Morrison, CO, USA

PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 4:47 pm    Post subject: "Not Responding" - how to prevent Reply with quote

I have a ClearWin window that remains on-screen while the program goes off and does lots of things. Normally, I wouldn't mess with it, but yesterday I tried to move the window out of the way.

The text "(Not Responding)" was added to the caption (first) and then the screen ultimately turned whiter. The window refused to be moved. This lasted until the task was done and normal processing resumed. I should mention that as the task is running, it is reporting its progress to the window so the user doesn't think the program is stuck.

In running some additional trials, it would appear that clicking the mouse anywhere in the window or typing while the window has focus has the same effect.

There's too much other code involved to post here.

I was wondering what the root cause might be and what steps others have taken to prevent this from occurring with their code. Or, should I just live with it and post a dialog box and say "Please wait until this process is completed"?
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the answer lies in the remainder of the program going off and doing something on its own.

From time to time, your numerically-intensive routine needs to use this:

SUBROUTINE YIELD_PROGRAM_CONTROL@(OPTION)
INTEGER OPTION

so that the message loop is examined.

Regards

Eddie
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PS. Partway through typing the answer, my cat scratched at the study door. If I'd refused to be interrupted, he would have experienced a 'Not responding' state. As it was, I stopped typing and went and fed him. Thus, I was in a YIELD_PROGRAM_CONTROL@ (Y_TEMPORARILY) state! Typing the reply took longer than I intended, but it was still fast enough.

There are other solutions. One is to make the windows completely independent processes, the other is to make sure that windows only 'go off and do' relatively short-duration tasks.

Eddie
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wahorger



Joined: 13 Oct 2014
Posts: 1217
Location: Morrison, CO, USA

PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perfect! Thanks, Eddie!
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To my astonishment there's also:

SUBROUTINE TEMPORARY_YIELD@()


Eddie
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wahorger



Joined: 13 Oct 2014
Posts: 1217
Location: Morrison, CO, USA

PostPosted: Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amazing what is lurking in the depths of the HELP files!
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JohnCampbell



Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 2554
Location: Sydney

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 3:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Using SUBROUTINE TEMPORARY_YIELD@() can date your program.

My graphics program, which I have been adapting since late 70's has this in many of the drawing loops. ( Those who remember the phosphorous green screens will understand) Back then, it was necessary to provide an interrupt test about every second of processing. Now with the code running about 10,000 times faster, some of these call tests have been removed or ignored. (one of those update projects that get ignored)

You need to judge what you want to interrupt and how frequently it should be done. I find that with new code it is easier to know what is causing the problem and wait for the process to complete. If you write your own code, it is a bit more tolerable than when it happens with Excel and you don't have a clue when it may finish !

John
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John,

Nevertheless, it is the answer to the problem originally complained about.

I don't use it because my programs' reactions to any command execute too quickly to want to interrupt, and indeed, if I was running something that took a long time I'd put it on a dedicated computer - and that's just in the shed at the end of my garden where I have a choice of 9 or 10!

For something that takes a long time then a progress bar is useful, or periodic reports as to where the calculation has got to. I find the eggtimer, or the rotating wait cursor to be least useful, as they don't tell you if it is worth going off and doing something else.

Eddie
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JohnCampbell



Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 2554
Location: Sydney

PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2015 3:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

For my %gr window, I draw a border which includes a text area in the bottom left, where I try to keep updating the run status description of what is being done. The aim is to provide sufficient messages to indicate that progress is being made. It can be the type of calculation, if there are stages to the processing or a % complete for a longer calculation. Knowing that some progress is being made is better that the worrying (Not Responding) indicator at the top.
The problem with interrupting at a temporary yield is that it is difficult to continue the calculation. (more complex coding)
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 12:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi John,

That's an interesting suggestion. You can get things on a status line, but I've looked for the Clearwin+ code and can't find it (I don't use it) - the only link I can find is putting %he help info the status line at the bottom of the screen.

Eddie
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JohnCampbell



Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 2554
Location: Sydney

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 1:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eddie,

No clearwin function, I just draw the text.
Code:
subroutine message_report (string)
!    use mswin
    include <clearwin.ins>
    include <JDC_menu.ins>
!
    character string*(*), message*50
    integer*4 xs,ys, nc
!
      call journal_report (string)
!
!    clear message area
      call draw_border (1)
!
!    write new message
      message = string
      xs      = 12
      ys      = w_depth-10
      call select_font@ ('Arial')
      call draw_characters@ (trim (message), xs, ys, rgb@ (255,0,0))
!
      call perform_graphics_update@()
!
end subroutine message_report
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2015 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi John,

Yes I realised what you were doing, and thought it was a great idea, just that Clearwin has a status line facility that I couldn't find. However, a bit more searching found it: put the outputs in an %ob[status] box!

Eddie
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IanLambley



Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 490
Location: Sunderland

PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Deleted!

Last edited by IanLambley on Mon Oct 12, 2015 2:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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IanLambley



Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 490
Location: Sunderland

PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eddie,
I put up a status window with several lines in it and output several messages during an analysis:
Code:

      CHARACTER*70 LINE
      common/status_text/line(12)
c
c create a function for the "Halt" button to exit the calculation
      integer*4 halt
      external  halt
.
.
      ipct = 0
c Write out percentage complete to window caption  repeat next two lines as required in calc loop
      write(anal_stat,7612)ipct
      call window_update@(anal_stat)

c put up the status window
            icontrol = -1
 7612       format('Analysis Status',i4,'%')
            ia=WINIO@('%ca@%es%^tt[Halt]&',anal_stat,halt)
            ia=WINIO@('Case:%`4rd %`rs&',jcase,curr_name(:64))
            ia=WINIO@('%ffMode :%ta%`rs&',an_mode)
            do i=1,12
              line(i) = ' '
              ia=WINIO@('%ff%`rs&',line(i))
            enddo
c      ia=winio@('%ww[no_maxminbox,no_sysmenu,topmost,no_border]&')
            ia=winio@('%ww[no_border]&')
            ia=winio@('%lw',icontrol)
          endif
c
c start calculation

c periodically in calc to allow "Halt button to be pressed.
          call yield_program_control(Y_TEMPORARILY)
c
c output to status window at each calc stage
          call log_comment('Message text as required')



c end calculation - destroy status window
          icontrol = 0
          call window_update@(icontrol)
          end


      subroutine log_comment(text)
      CHARACTER*70 LINE
      common/status_text/line(12)
      character*(*) text
      character*11 etad
      character*8 emit
      integer*4 winio@
      do i=2,12
        line(i-1) = line(i)
      enddo
c
c get date and time for display with comment
      call calndr(etad,emit)
      write(line(12),100)emit,text(:min(len(text),57))
  100 format(1x,a,2x,a)
      do i=1,12
        call window_update@(line(i))
      enddo
      end


This is just a stripped out version not tested and some obvious include <windows.ins> or use statements missing
Regards
Ian
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LitusSaxonicum



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Posts: 2388
Location: Yateley, Hants, UK

PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ian,

A neat example, but one that doesn't use %ob[status], even if it does employ the yield_scurvy_knave@ routine.

Eddie
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