Database Users

is there a way to close a program right away

or will it always run in the backround until you end all tasks
thanks

msoprano13 said:
or will it always run in the backround until you end all tasks
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the program. I have found that if you hit the back arrow key a few times it closes some of the running apps.

hold the 'home' button > task manager > end all task
that's the fastest way i guess.,,

The only program i know of which ends when you close it is IE. If i hit the red button to exit the browser, it completely shuts down the program. I'm using the dash 3G. It didnt used to be this way on the original Dash.....you can also set your shortcut key to task manager if you wanted to.

how do you change a short cut key to task manager??
thanks

msoprano13 said:
how do you change a short cut key to task manager??
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Start > all programs > Accessories > Highlight Task Manager and hit Menu then Add Speed Dial.
I use 3, but pretty much any would work (Besides the number 1)

Shortcut Key on Dash 3G
msoprano13 said:
how do you change a short cut key to task manager??
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Task Manager set as the long press for the Shortcut Key (bottom right of the Dash 3G keyboard) (short press = Comm Mgr). Set this by Start/More/Settings/More/More/More/(5) Shortcut Key
Then you can make it either the "Short press" function or the "Press and hold" function.
Snap & Ozone don't have that key available though ...

msoprano13 said:
or will it always run in the backround until you end all tasks
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't really need to... The Maple has SOOOO much freakin RAM, I've never gone below 60MB yet, even with my WM 6.5 test ROM (coming soon).

ookba said:
You don't really need to... The Maple has SOOOO much freakin RAM, I've never gone below 60MB yet, even with my WM 6.5 test ROM (coming soon).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a complete Windows Mobile newbie, and this seems very strange and very Microsoft to me. How shocking that there isn't a way to switch apps or close apps beyond the task manager, but nearly every app lacks a well defined close button. Maybe I'm spoiled after playing with the Palm Pre in the store for awhile today.
EDIT: after using the snap a bit more i've set the task manager to one of the speed dial shortcuts. that definitely helps, but i'm still looking into how to make the mycircle button bring up the task man. my other thought is that it would be great if the end button closed your currently running application (maybe with a confirmation prompt). then the home button could still be used to return to the today screen and you wouldn't have duplicated functionality between the home and end buttons.

dougmwpsu said:
I'm a complete Windows Mobile newbie, and this seems very strange and very Microsoft to me. How shocking that there isn't a way to switch apps or close apps beyond the task manager, but nearly every app lacks a well defined close button. Maybe I'm spoiled after playing with the Palm Pre in the store for awhile today.
EDIT: after using the snap a bit more i've set the task manager to one of the speed dial shortcuts. that definitely helps, but i'm still looking into how to make the mycircle button bring up the task man. my other thought is that it would be great if the end button closed your currently running application (maybe with a confirmation prompt). then the home button could still be used to return to the today screen and you wouldn't have duplicated functionality between the home and end buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could create a Mortscript to map the mycircle button, a bit harder to write one for the currently running app.. now I got my thinking cap on lol

HD2 Multitasking

I have searched around the net and watched almost all youtube videos about the HD2. I still need to know about how the phone handles multitasking... I am quite sure it does multitask though..
Android: Long press on the home-menu button to bring up latest apps. + Task manager apps to kill running apps.
Nokia/Maemo: Big element of core design. Screen with live feed windows. Each window can be shot down seperatly.
iPhone: No multitasking
HD2: ?? Anything like a task manager here??

kasperknop said:
I have searched around the net and watched almost all youtube videos about the HD2. I still need to know about how the phone handles multitasking... I am quite sure it does multitask though..
Android: Long press on the home-menu button to bring up latest apps. + Task manager apps to kill running apps.
Nokia/Maemo: Big element of core design. Screen with live feed windows. Each window can be shot down seperatly.
iPhone: No multitasking
HD2: ?? Anything like a task manager here??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats a stupid question all ppc's can multitask, infact win mob comes with its own task/processes manager lol

mancsoulja said:
thats a stupid question all ppc's can multitask, infact win mob comes with its own task/processes manager lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no such thing as a stupid question.
In this case there's only a "narrowminded, pissed off and angry with his live"-kinda question.
<3

I still need to know about how the phone handles multitasking... I am quite sure it does multitask though..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I saw it a week ago, the presenter pressed a small button on right side of the screen while in home display to bring up the list of applications running. So in a sense, quite similar to N900, except that it was a list, not thumbnails.
What I would be interested to know if there's a way to remap a hardware key to bring up the task manager. Personally I would think this would be more useful for me that the start-key.

fouro said:
When I saw it a week ago, the presenter pressed a small button on right side of the screen while in home display to bring up the list of applications running. So in a sense, quite similar to N900, except that it was a list, not thumbnails.
What I would be interested to know if there's a way to remap a hardware key to bring up the task manager. Personally I would think this would be more useful for me that the start-key.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a few other nice solutions:
WkTask shows the running apps as small icons on the taskbar - kinda like in Windows on the desktop computer. By tapping on the icons, you can easily switch between different runningapps with as outreturning to the homescreen in between. Its freeware, although donations are surely appreciated by the creator...
AEButtonsPlus can display a listf running apps following a hardware button press, so you can switch by tapping on a listed item.

dnt forget we can use the xperia panels now, that works as a nice visual task manager

Thanks, those solutions look quite interesting and probably will be what I'm looking for. I'll have to give them a try when I'll get the device.

Heres some pics so you know what were on about
1) xperia panels (You can get that free here)
2) Htc Task Manager (You Get That with every htc device)
3) Showcase (You also can get that free here)

3) Showcase (You also can get that free here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just found the Showcase myself too. It seems really brilliant application.. simple and finger friendly.
Just need to figure out how I can remap a hardware button (like start button) to start this instead. But as far as I understand, that shouldn't be big issue.
But I guess that should be what I was after with this: easily accessable task manager so I can switch applications quick.

fouro said:
I just found the Showcase myself too. It seems really brilliant application.. simple and finger friendly.
Just need to figure out how I can remap a hardware button (like start button) to start this instead. But as far as I understand, that shouldn't be big issue.
But I guess that should be what I was after with this: easily accessable task manager so I can switch applications quick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Showcases default setting is set to open when you press and hold the start button

Showcases default setting is set to open when you press and hold the start button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now if I only could get it without holding it, but just pressing...
But thanks, that alone should be enough too. And I'll probably manage to find out how to modify it before I'll get my phone, if it's possible.

fouro said:
Now if I only could get it without holding it, but just pressing...
But thanks, that alone should be enough too. And I'll probably manage to find out how to modify it before I'll get my phone, if it's possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you set it to just a press, how would you get to the start menu lol

if you set it to just a press, how would you get to the start menu lol
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Click to collapse
If I've understood correct, it should be accessible through home-screen, just pressing the start from top-left corner? This should be enough for me if I have 9 shortcuts in home screen anyway. Probably don't need that fast access to rest of aplications.
Just a personal preference, but I'd like to be able to access task manager fast. Just so I can juggle between browser, ssh terminal (irssi) etc easily.Currently with my Nokia E71 I can access it by pressing home-button for a second and would prefer a dedicated button for this.

fouro said:
If I've understood correct, it should be accessible through home-screen, just pressing the start from top-left corner? This should be enough for me if I have 9 shortcuts in home screen anyway. Probably don't need that fast access to rest of aplications.
Just a personal preference, but I'd like to be able to access task manager fast. Just so I can juggle between browser, ssh terminal (irssi) etc easily.Currently with my Nokia E71 I can access it by pressing home-button for a second and would prefer a dedicated button for this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not on the newer windows mobile 6.5.1 roms, microsoft moved the start button from the top to the bottom, suppose to make it more like windows by the way you can set showcase up so it opens if you tap the top right hand corner where the clock is

mancsoulja said:
Showcases default setting is set to open when you press and hold the start button
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Click to collapse
Does not work this way on the HD2, and also a no-go with pressing and holding the Windows hardware button.

erdoke said:
Does not work this way on the HD2, and also a no-go with pressing and holding the Windows hardware button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come it's a no-go to do that?XD

kasperknop said:
How come it's a no-go to do that?XD
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Click to collapse
Also, X button enhancement does not work perfectly. On the capacitive screen I can't slide my finger to the left to activate different functions of Showcase. Only the one to the right can be used. It works fine when operating through a PC with Remote Controller, so I am sure this is due to the different screen technology.

erdoke said:
Also, X button enhancement does not work perfectly. On the capacitive screen I can't slide my finger to the left to activate different functions of Showcase. Only the one to the right can be used. It works fine when operating through a PC with Remote Controller, so I am sure this is due to the different screen technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, for some reason HD2 renders the X button enhancement useless. So, is there actually any way to access Showcase (or any similar task manager for that matter) by long pressing any of the hard keys? I really wish there was more convenient ways to switch between applications.

Kinda funny how Apple's ineptitude has people thinking, all over again, asif Multitasking is something special.
Any windows version since way back when does multitasking.
You know what the funny part is, the iPhone can actually multi task, but Apple won't allow it for some reason Steve Jobs' mind spewed out and only he can understand.

JanSchotsmans said:
You know what the funny part is, the iPhone can actually multi task, but Apple won't allow it for some reason Steve Jobs' mind spewed out and only he can understand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They can activate it later and sell a new wave of $600 phones.
Remember when they released video? It was very exciting for a lot of people. I recall video recording the festivities on my three year old Windows Mobile phone at the time.

[DEV REQUEST] WinMo "Right-Click" function

The right-click function mentioned in the topic would be an amazing feature to have in any android build. Being able to hold down on the screen for a second to bring up the menu is invaluable. Not to mention the amount of stress it would save on the Windows button..
Now this is only a request for the development of an idea I had for the current android builds. I do not expect anything to be done about it, only taken into consideration. If the work involved is too heavy and difficult to manage, then it doesn't have to be done. There are already MIUI builds that somewhat incorporate this idea.

whats wrong with pressing the windows button?

Some people have it in theur minds that pressing the keys too much will break them. Don't see why, if that happens you can't just buy a new set of keys from eBay to replace them...
Sent from my HTC HD2 using Tapatalk

Personally, I'd like to see someone develop a way of using the hardware keys to control the touchscreen. I'm really worried that, because of Android, I'm using my touchscreen more than it was designed for and I'm going to break it.

lol, yeah these people who break the hardware keys are obviously pressing them to hard or something. My HD2 is second hand, ive used it very often with the keys and they still work fine.
The keys are there to be pressed, its as simple as that.

have you seen software key panel app;http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865525
it brings in the screen 4 software button that emulate the hardware button
no need to press anymore the hardware button
if you search in the thread you will find some very good skins for this great app
Stom said:
Personally, I'd like to see someone develop a way of using the hardware keys to control the touchscreen. I'm really worried that, because of Android, I'm using my touchscreen more than it was designed for and I'm going to break it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is easier to break hardware buttons by too many times pressing them instead of break touchscreen from pressing
many people like me have broke their buttons because of the need that android have of them

clio94 said:
have you seen software key panel app;http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865525
it brings in the screen 4 software button that emulate the hardware button
no need to press anymore the hardware button
if you search in the thread you will find some very good skins for this great app
it is easier to break hardware buttons by too many times pressing them instead of break touchscreen from pressing
many people like me have broke their buttons because of the need that android have of them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that was dripping sarcasm from his part.

maff1989 said:
The right-click function mentioned in the topic would be an amazing feature to have in any android build. Being able to hold down on the screen for a second to bring up the menu is invaluable. Not to mention the amount of stress it would save on the Windows button..
Now this is only a request for the development of an idea I had for the current android builds. I do not expect anything to be done about it, only taken into consideration. If the work involved is too heavy and difficult to manage, then it doesn't have to be done. There are already MIUI builds that somewhat incorporate this idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android already uses long-click in a lot of situations, I'm not sure how your idea would be able to co-exist with that.

StephanV said:
Android already uses long-click in a lot of situations, I'm not sure how your idea would be able to co-exist with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's true. Although, my idea was to ADD a long-click/right-click function to, say, the Browser app. Instead of long-clicking a link, picture, etc, you could long-click the page and bring up the options menu for the Browser app, not necessarily just links, pictures, etc.

maff1989 said:
my idea was to ADD a long-click/right-click function to, say, the Browser app. Instead of long-clicking a link, picture, etc, you could long-click the page and bring up the options menu for the Browser app, not necessarily just links, pictures, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That could not be done on a system-wide basis. Every single app would have to specifiy what part of each screen brings up the "right-click menu" and what should be on that menu.
If they were going to do that, they'd have done it already. And that is what the menu button is for.

[Q] Search button

I find the search button that takes you directly to Bing obtrusive, is there any way of de-activating it or using it for another function?
Than you

do you can give us the registry key
i could like use it at people key
thank u

I hope in future it will be possible to deactivate button, if application doesn't support search.
Most of the times, I click it accidentally.

same problem here...
hate the search key ;-)
I find it super obtrusive to be honest - especially in landscape mode - 8 out of 10 IE viewing in landscape finishes by accidently pressin search and not being able to go back!
Anyone with an idea how to switch it off?

I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!
I so wish these buttons were real hardware buttons, so that going near them wouldn't take me away from a game which takes a minute to then re-load. Grr

Agreed - the search key sucks. You don't search much, and you always seem to hit it by accident.
Personally would love to turn it off, or turn it to a long key-press, then at least you won't hit it accidently.
Probably some registry-settings can do this.

I like it... I like how it's used by different applications to search just those applications (email, IMDB, etc). Yes, I sometimes press it by accident, but I can just press Back and I'm back where I was...

CreepinJesus said:
I like it... I like how it's used by different applications to search just those applications (email, IMDB, etc). Yes, I sometimes press it by accident, but I can just press Back and I'm back where I was...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not true...
I just made my test again.
Open IE - go to a website, then press Search that redirects you to bing and when you press back - you re not on your original website but back to the menu...
search buttons sucks...

lzyla said:
not true...
I just made my test again.
Open IE - go to a website, then press Search that redirects you to bing and when you press back - you re not on your original website but back to the menu...
search buttons sucks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me it goes back to IE
Edit: unless you mean after you've actually done a search?

that is really strange but no - I did not perform any search.
I feel it has to do smth with my location settings or some other settings that are mysterious to me.
I noticed that since playing with location settings to access the marketplace which is still not available in my country - I changed the location to UK, but IE search setting to my locale - When I press the search button I am not redirected to a nice bing search page with the fullscreen background picture but rather to bing's web address (and the displayed picture only takes 40-50% of the screen and is too small to enter anything without zooming in).
This could be the case with my problem.
Anyway - still hate the search button and would love someone to find a cure for it ;-)

BACK-Button to kill a task *searching*

Hi there,
wondering if there is a way to get the back-button finishing the app.
When i'm at contacts or writing an sms or surfing, i want to go back to desktop as fast as possible...but when i'm at contact/details, i have to press the back button 5-6 times to go back trough all the previous screen.
Is there a way/hack/app telling the back-button (have to be a hardware button) to end the tasks completly when holding it, for example?
THX THX

Press the home button? That will take you back to the desktop.
If you need to you can then use task manager to end the task.
Would be nice to see a hack/fix to add the back button to kill functionality though

IakobosJ said:
Press the home button? That will take you back to the desktop.
If you need to you can then use task manager to end the task.
Would be nice to see a hack/fix to add the back button to kill functionality though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I miss this from my oxygen rom'd desire

Pkplonker said:
I miss this from my oxygen rom'd desire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's already in in MIUI and most probably will be also in CM7.

well the back button does kill apps.
if you start, say, the browser and press the home button, then enter task manager, the browser will still run. if you start the browser and press the back button and open the task manager, it will show that the browser is not running anymore (actually, the browser was a bad example, since after a little bit of browsing you'd have to push the back button quite a lot since its primary function is to go back). the same goes for many more apps, whatsapp, facebook, twitter, angry birds...

Pkplonker said:
I miss this from my oxygen rom'd desire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
me too. adamG has apparently got a SGS2 though

Thinking about it, I would also like this functionality although it isn't so urgent for me. If more people show interest maybe I'll attempt it as my first android app For such a simple app my opinion is that it should be free and not packed with admob spam, but if another dev wants to attempt it that's their choice I guess.
My thoughts:
It should be quick to develop a simple app providing this functionality. Just have it bind to an event which fires when the back button is pressed long, and have it kill the app whichever is first in the foreground window Z-order (I'm fairly new to the Android API, so I use Win32 API terminology here for example only). The only complexity may be to make the event bound globally (in all apps), as opposed to only bound in the app itself - hopefully that doesn't require root! I guess it should be a background service which runs on boot, and perhaps a very simple gui app to control that service (in fact would there be anything to configure at all? What do you think?).

sl9 said:
Thinking about it, I would also like this functionality although it isn't so urgent for me. If more people show interest maybe I'll attempt it as my first android app For such a simple app my opinion is that it should be free and not packed with admob spam, but if another dev wants to attempt it that's their choice I guess.
My thoughts:
It should be quick to develop a simple app providing this functionality. Just have it bind to an event which fires when the back button is pressed long, and have it kill the app whichever is first in the foreground window Z-order (I'm fairly new to the Android API, so I use Win32 API terminology here for example only). The only complexity may be to make the event bound globally (in all apps), as opposed to only bound in the app itself - hopefully that doesn't require root! I guess it should be a background service which runs on boot, and perhaps a very simple gui app to control that service (in fact would there be anything to configure at all? What do you think?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would need to be in the framework of the rom, I think

Chef_Tony said:
well the back button does kill apps.
if you start, say, the browser and press the home button, then enter task manager, the browser will still run. if you start the browser and press the back button and open the task manager, it will show that the browser is not running anymore (actually, the browser was a bad example, since after a little bit of browsing you'd have to push the back button quite a lot since its primary function is to go back). the same goes for many more apps, whatsapp, facebook, twitter, angry birds...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it does, but you have to press and press and press...would be cool, if you can "hold down" the button for a sec and it will end the task.
Example...when i'm at handsentSMS > SMS > keyboard open...
Pressing BACK > close keyboard
Pressing BACK > closing SMS windows
Pressing BACK > closing handsentSMS
3 times pressing this button after every SMS suxx...sorry
Yeah i can press the HomeButton, but then its in my mind, that the app is running in background...isnt that bad at android-OS-structure, but its a bad feeling to me...

yes that's true. i was reading over your original post again and the first time through i must have overread the part where you named sms and the browser as examples. you are right, in that case, it does not work very well. an alternative way is to hold the home button, then press task manager and kill the app instantly. but that takes even longer. i guess your best option is to actually let it run in the background, if you want to get out of it fast.

pulser_g2 said:
It would need to be in the framework of the rom, I think
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspected this may be the case, really hope it isn't but I understand the Android security model needs to enforce a certain level of isolation for each app in the VM I'll do some further reading of the documentation to find out for sure, since a simple non-root APK providing this functionality for users would be very welcome.
I'm too used to other less-secure API's (Win32) in which any app could basically do whatever it wanted to other apps and the OS; I guess thats why virus authors love Windows so much

yeah just for anyone not totally in the know, there is a difference in android between pressing the BACK button and HOME button to leave an app. using the back button to leave an app and go back to the home screen basically "kills" the app. it puts it in a state where it can readily be killed by the OS in an instant.
when just pressing HOME to leave an app, the app is technically backgrounded. the OS will keep it around longer or in a different fashion.
so backing out of apps with the back button is always the way to "exit" any app.