User:Jamesboston/nsIProcess

Name of Project

Fix nsIProcess

Description

The nsIProcess API will be given a new spec that includes inter-process communication and then implemented.

Leader

James Boston

Contributors

None (yet).

Details

The API for nsIProcess is not fully implemented. At present, the PID of a created process is not retained and cannot be killed. The API would also benifit from a new spec that includes inter-process communication.

An example of an API that for creating processes and communicating with them through STDIN/STDOUT is the Python subprocess module: http://docs.python.org/lib/node528.html

The goal of this project is to create a similar API for Mozilla.

API proposal

https://wiki.mozilla.org/NsIProcess

Existing API

Code snippet of how to use the existing API

Existing Code

http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/xpcom/threads/nsProcessCommon.cpp

Relevant bugs

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=442393
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=68702

News and updates

Blog

A blog about the ongoing project to fix nsIProcess:
http://jamesboston.ca/cms/taxonomy/term/16

Hot off the presses

Sept 25, 2008: Revised patch to clear out some unused code. Tested console app. No console windows appeared on Vista or XP. This is the desired behaviour.

Sept 24, 2008: Wrote a patch so that nsIProcess.run() uses NSPR for all platforms. Also solves the kill bug.

Sept 23, 2008: Discussion with Mark Finkle about using NSPR.

Sept 22, 2008: A little something related. I've released an updated version of an extension that serves as a temporary work around for nsIProcess bugs.

Sept 22, 2008: Discussion with Mark Finkle and David Humphrey about the API design.

Sept 21, 2008: A first draft (an alpha version really) of the API is posted

Sept 21, 2008: Wrote a patch for the existing API so that the kill() method works for Win32.

Sept 19, 2008: Discussion with Benjamin Smedberg and David Humphrey to discuss the new API proposal.