[Rd] What changed in the R Windows interface from v2.6.2 to v2.7.0?

[Duncan Murdoch]

Mark Thyer wrote:
> Dear R-devel,
>
>  
>
> I would like to launch the Rgui.exe from a Fortran console application (we
> will call this FortranCon.exe), that I have written myself. To do this, I
> send the command line "C:\Program Files\R\R-X.X.X\Rgui.exe" (where X.X.X is
> the version number) as an argument to the
> Windows API function CreateProcess (see
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms682425(VS.85).aspx) 
>
>  
>
> I use the createprocess command because I want the Rgui.exe and the Fortran
> console application to run in parallel. 
>
>  
>
> I have done this before with other executables (e.g. Tinn-R.exe,
> textpad.exe) and there hasn't been a problem.
>
>  
>
> But with the current version of R(v2.9.1), there is a problem. 
>
>  
>
> The problem is that after Rgui.exe is launched by FortranCon.exe, the
> console window for FortanCon.exe does not close properly when it finishes
> running. 
>
> I have to manually close it, by clicking on the topright X on the window.
> When I do this the Rgui.exe window also closes - which again is different to
> normal, and then the Windows EndProgram dialog comes up and asks me whether
> I wish to close FortranCon.exe
>
>  
>
> I have experimented with different versions of R, and this problem only
> occurs in R(>=v2.7.0)
>
>  
>
> If I launch Rgui.exe for v2.6.2, then the FortranCon.exe window closes
> automatically when it finishes and the Rgui.exe window remains open - this
> is the behaviour I expect and want to happen. Indeed, this is what usually
> happens If I launch other executables using the CreateProcess function.
>
>  
>
> This error does not occur if I launch Rgui.exe from a Fortran windows
> application. (as opposed to console application) 
>
>  
>
> I am running R on Windows XP (Service Pack 3) 32-bit (I have also found the
> problem occurs using 64-bit Windows XP). The FortranCon.exe is complied and
> linked by Intel Visual Fortran IVF11.1.035 and Visual Studio 2008.
>
>  
>
> So my query is. What has changed in the R Windows interface from v2.6.2 to
> v2.7.0 to cause this problem. I had a look at the CHANGES for R2.7.0 and I
> couldn't see anything the instantly could cause this problem. 
>   

I don't remember any change that would cause this, though there were a 
lot of changes.  You might need to build some intermediate versions 
(checkout from the Subversion repository and build) in order to narrow 
it down. 2.6.x split from the trunk in revision 42766, and 2.7.0 was 
released in revision 45426, so you've got the unpleasant possibility of 
a search through a few thousand versions.  (I recommend a binary search!)

In future you could avoid problems like this by staying up to date:  If 
you'd noticed this when 2.7.0 was released in April, 2008 (or helped 
during testing before release), our memory would have been fresher.

Duncan Murdoch


>  
>
> Any help on this matter is greatly appreciated. 
>
>  
>
> The ability to launch R from a Fortran application is important for the
> usability of the RFortran software library (www.rfortran.org
> <http://www.rfortran.org/> ) that we are developing. 
>
>  
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mark
>
>  
>
> _________________________________________________
>
> Dr Mark Thyer
>
> Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering
>
> Discipline of Civil, Surveying and Environmental Engineering
>
> School of Engineering, University of Newcastle
>
> Callaghan, NSW, Australia 2308
>
> T: 02 4921 6057
>
> F: 02 4921 6991
>
> E: mark.thyer at newcastle.edu.au
>
> W:
> www.newcastle.edu.au/school/engineering/our_staff/profiles/thyer_mark.html
>
>  
>
> "It is easy to lie with statistics, but it is difficult to tell the truth
> without them." Andrejs Dunkels
>
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