What is an app? In this operating-system os_apps module context, simply something you can start and stop using a process. It has no standard input, and typically none or minimal standard output and error.

There is an important distinction between apps and processes. These predicates use processes to launch apps. An application typically has one process instance; else if not, has differing arguments to distinguish one running instance of the app from another. Hence for the same reason, the app model here ignores "standard input." Apps have no such input stream, conceptually speaking.

Is "app" the right word to describe such a thing? English limits the alternatives: process, no because that means something that loads an app; program, no because that generally refers the app's image including its resources.

App configuration

Apps start by creating a process. Processes have four distinct specification parameter groups: a path specification, a list of arguments, possibly some execution options along with some optional encoding and other run-time related options. Call this the application's configuration.

The os_apps predicates rely on multi-file property_for_app/2 to configure the app launch path, arguments and options. The property-for-app predicate supplies an app's configuration non-deterministically using three sub-terms for the first Property argument, as follows.

• os:property_for_app(path(Path), App)
• os:property_for_app(argument(Argument), App)
• os:property_for_app(option(Option), App)

Two things to note about these predicates; (1) App is a compound describing the app and its app-specific configuration information; (2) the first Property argument collates arguments and options non-deterministically. Predicate app_start/1 finds all the argument- and option-solutions in the order defined.

Start up and shut down

By default, starting an app does not persist the app. It does not restart if the user or some other agent, including bugs, causes the app to exit. Consequently, this module offers a secondary app-servicing layer. You can start up or shut down any app. This amounts to starting and upping or stopping and downing, but substitutes shut for stop. Starting up issues a start but also watches for stopping.

Broadcasts

Sends three broadcast messages for any given App, as follows:

• os:app_started(App)
• os:app_decoded(App, stdout(Codes))
• os:app_decoded(App, stderr(Codes))
• os:app_stopped(App, Status)

Running apps send zero or more os:app_decoded(App, Term) messages, one for every line appearing in their standard output and standard error streams. Removes line terminators. App termination broadcasts an exit(Code) term for its final Status.

 app_property(?App:compound, ?Property) is nondet

Property of App.

Note that app_property(App, defined) should not throw an exception. Some apps have an indeterminate number of invocations where App is a compound with variables. Make sure that the necessary properties are ground, rather than unbound.

Collapses non-determinism to determinism by collecting App and Property pairs before expanding the bag to members non-deterministically.

 app_start(?App:compound) is nondet

Starts an App if not already running. Starts more than one apps non-deterministically if App binds with more than one specifier. Does not restart the app if launching fails. See app_up/1 for automatic restarts. An app's argument and option properties execute non-deterministically.

Options can include the following:

encoding(Encoding)

an encoding option for the output and error streams.

alias(Alias)

an alias prefix for the detached watcher thread.

Checks for not-running after unifying with the App path. Succeeds if already running.

 app_stop(?App:compound) is nondet

Kills the App process. Stopping the app does not prevent subsequent automatic restart.

Killing does not retract the app_pid/2 by design. Doing so would trigger a failure warning. (The waiting PID-monitor thread would die on failure because its retract attempt fails.)

 app_up(?App:compound) is nondet

Starts up an App.

Semantics of this predicate rely on app_start/1 succeeding even if already started. That way, you can start an app then subsequently up it, meaning stay up. Hence, you can app_stop(App) to force a restart if already app_up(App). Stopping an app does not down it!

Note that app_start/1 will fail for one of two reasons: (1) because the App has not been defined yet; (2) because starting it fails for some reason.

 app_down(?App:compound) is nondet

Shuts down an App. Shuts down multiple apps non-deterministically if the App compound matches more than one app definition.