PHP WinBinder: Alternative control 2

UniServer 5-Nano PHP WinBinder.

Alternative control part 2

This page is a continuation of the alternative control. It covers starting and stopping Apache and MySQL servers from a Windows application.

Initial Problem

Starting or stopping a server spawns a separate process. This allows the main application to continue executing uninterrupted. An implication of this, other than monitoring a server’s status is that there is no way to determine when it completes.

What is required is a timer to periodically check a server’s status. This can be handled by using a timer control.

For example:

Add this to the constants: define("ID_APP_TIMER", 9001);

Add this to create control section

 wb_create_timer($mainwin, ID_APP_TIMER, 100);     // One second interval

The above produces a 100ms tick. Every 100ms it calls the handler function.

The handler function contains this code, which in turn calls our main_timer() function.

 // Main timer tick call other functions
 if($id ==ID_APP_TIMER){  // 100 ms tick
  main_timer();           // Call main timer function
 }

A timer must be specifically killed using function wb_destroy_timer($window, ID);

Add this to the close window section as shown below:

case IDCLOSE:                                // Constant IDCLOSE (8) predefined 
    wb_destroy_timer($window, ID_APP_TIMER); // Kill timer
    wb_destroy_window($window);              // Destroy the window
    break; 

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Timer function main_timer()

The timer function contains four sections corresponding to Apache start/stop and MySQL start/stop.

Each section has the following format:

 if($Start_timer_1){             // Run code if timer_1 started
     if(apache_running()){       // Check server
        $Start_timer_1 = FALSE;  // Disable timer
        main_init();             // Update buttons and indicators
     }
 }

Variable $Start_timer_1 is a global, allowing its value to be retained between calls to this function.

The complete function code as follows:

//=== Main Timer handler ======================================================
function  main_timer(){

 global $Start_timer_Apache_run;
 global $Start_timer_Apache_stop;
 global $Start_timer_MySQL_run;
 global $Start_timer_MySQL_stop;

 // Apache run
 if($Start_timer_Apache_run){             // Run code if timer started
     if(apache_running()){                // Check server
        $Start_timer_Apache_run = FALSE;  // Disable timer
        main_init();                      // Update buttons and indicators
     }
 }

 //Apache stop
 if($Start_timer_Apache_stop){             // Run code if timer started
     if(!apache_running()){                // Check server
        $Start_timer_Apache_stop = FALSE;  // Disable timer
        main_init();                       // Update buttons and indicators
     }
 }

 //MySQL run
 if($Start_timer_MySQL_run){             // Run code if timer_1 started
     if(MySQL_running()){                // Check server
        $Start_timer_MySQL_run = FALSE;  // Disable timer
        main_init();                     // Update buttons and indicators
     }
 }

 //MySQL stop
 if($Start_timer_MySQL_stop){             // Run code if timer_1 started
     if(!MySQL_running()){                // Check server
        $Start_timer_MySQL_stop = FALSE;  // Disable timer
        main_init();                      // Update buttons and indicators
     }
 }
}
//====================================================== Main Timer handler ===

Global Variables

The global variables need to be defined at the top of the main script.

Add the following just above constants

// Common variables
$Start_timer_Apache_run  = FALSE; //pseudo timer control
$Start_timer_Apache_stop = FALSE; //pseudo timer control
$Start_timer_MySQL_run   = FALSE; //pseudo timer control
$Start_timer_MySQL_stop  = FALSE; //pseudo timer control

They are also used in the handler function add the lines as shown at the top of this function.

function process_main($window, $id){

 global $Start_timer_Apache_run;
 global $Start_timer_Apache_stop;
 global $Start_timer_MySQL_run;
 global $Start_timer_MySQL_stop;

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Server main functions

For a Windows application, the main server functions stop_servers.php and start_servers.php require some modifications.

These were copied from folder UniServer\unicon\main and their names were changed to stop_servers.inc.php and start_servers.inc.php

They had a quick clean up and a wait function added wb_wait($window,2000) to allow Windows to start processing. Probably the time is excessive and can be reduced. You can twiddle with the value. What's important is to add these with an include staetment.

Add the last two lines as shown

include "../../../unicon/main/includes/config.inc.php"; // US Core
include "../../../unicon/main/includes/functions.php";  // US Core 

include "start_servers.inc.php";
include "stop_servers.inc.php";

With these functions added, we can continue adding more capability.

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Push Buttons

Buttons provide a user interface that can easily be abused. By this I mean that a user is not restricted. They can click buttons in any order and even double click.

For some application this may or may not be an issue. Attempting to start or stop servers in quick succession can produce undesirable effects. Similarly if a server is not running, the associated buttons, if clicked, will again produce undesirable results.

A neat solution is to disable any buttons until their functionality can be guaranteed.

Server All Start/Stop

The code on the right is added to the Handler Function. It is self-explanatory. Depending on the button caption text, the servers are either started or stopped. Appropriate buttons are disabled. A timer is started and the server is either started or stopped. The parameter passed is binary coded: 1=Apache, 2=MySQL 3=Both The timer function checks a server’s status. On detecting a state change, it calls the init functions. This sets the appropriate indicator and button states.

// All button case ID_PB_ALL: // All servers $text = wb_get_text(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_ALL)); // get button txt if( $text == 'Start All'){ // Start All servers wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_ALL), FALSE); // Disable All button wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_APACHE), FALSE); // Disable Apache button wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_MYSQL), FALSE); // Disable MySQL button $Start_timer_Apache_run = TRUE; // start timer $Start_timer_MySQL_run = TRUE; // start timer main_server_start(3); // start servers } if( $text == 'Stop All'){ // Stop servers wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_ALL), FALSE); // Disable All button wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_APACHE), FALSE); // Disable Apache button wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_MYSQL), FALSE); // Disable MySQL button $Start_timer_Apache_stop = TRUE; // start timer $Start_timer_MySQL_stop = TRUE; // start timer main_server_stop(3); // stop servers } break;

Apache Start/Stop

The code on the right is added to the Handler Function. It is self-explanatory. Depending on the button caption text, the servers are either started or stopped. Appropriate buttons are disabled. A timer is started and the server is either started or stopped. The parameter passed is binary coded: 1=Apache, 2=MySQL 3=Both The timer function checks a server’s status. On detecting a state change, it calls the init functions. This sets the appropriate indicator and button states.

// Apache button case ID_PB_APACHE: // Apache server $text = wb_get_text(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_APACHE)); // get button txt if( $text == 'Start Apache'){ // Start Apache server wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_APACHE), FALSE); // Disable Apache button wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_ALL), FALSE); // Disable All button $Start_timer_Apache_run = TRUE; // start timer main_server_start(1); // start Apache server } if( $text == 'Stop Apache'){ // Stop Apache server wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_APACHE), FALSE); // Disable Apache button $Start_timer_Apache_stop = TRUE; // start timer main_server_stop(1); // stop Apache server } break;

MySQL Start/Stop

Code on the right is added to the Handler Function. It is self-explanatory. Depending on the button caption text, the servers are either started or stopped. Appropriate buttons are disabled. A timer is started and the server is either started or stopped. The parameter passed is binary coded: 1=Apache, 2=MySQL 3=Both The timer function checks a server’s status. On detecting a state change, it calls the init functions. This sets the appropriate indicator and button states.

// MySQL button case ID_PB_MYSQL: // Apache server $text = wb_get_text(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_MYSQL)); // get button txt if( $text == 'Start MySQL'){ // Start MySQL server wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_MYSQL), FALSE); // Disabe MySQL button wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_ALL), FALSE); // Disable All button $Start_timer_MySQL_run = TRUE; // start timer main_server_start(2); // start MySQL server } if( $text == 'Stop MySQL'){ // Stop MySQL server wb_set_enabled(wb_get_control($window, ID_PB_MYSQL), FALSE); // Disabe MySQL button $Start_timer_MySQL_stop = TRUE; // start timer main_server_stop(2); // stop MySQL server } break;

Apanel

Code on the right is added to the Handler Function. Note: Code is placed above the switch($id) statement.

//Apanel Button if($id==ID_PB_APANEL){ // Apanel button $apache_port = get_apache_port(); // Get actual port if($apache_port == 80){ // Standard port no change $text='http://localhost/apanel/'; // Use as is } else{ // Non standard hence $text='http://:'.$apache_port.'/localhost/apanel/'; // hence add port } wb_exec($text); // Open page in browser }

phpMyAdmin

Code on the right is added to the Handler Function. Note: Code is placed above the switch($id) statement.

//phpMyAdmin Button if($id==ID_PB_PHPMYADMIN){ // phpMyADmin button $apache_port = get_apache_port(); // Get actual port if($apache_port == 80){ // Standard port no change $text='http://localhost/apanel/phpMyAdmin/'; // Use as is } else{ // Non standard hence $text='http://:'.$apache_port.'/localhost/apanel/phpMyAdmin/'; // hence add port } wb_exec($text); // Open page in browser }

My CMD

Code on the right is added to the Handler Function. It is self-explanatory.

// MySQL CMD button case ID_PB_MYCMD: // My CMD server main_server_start(8); // start MySQL CMD break;

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Test

To see this code in action, run test_5.bat (code contained in test_5.phpw).

Run Uniform Server, start and stop each server and observe the button and indicator states. Start and stop both servers, again observing the button and indicator states.

After testing, close both Servers and the application script.

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Summary

At this stage you have fully functional servers.

The next step is to add functionality to the remaining buttons. This is covered on the next page.

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