How to set up Menu items such that if an instance is already running, the running instance is brought to the foreground?

[kde at mail.kde.org]

On Saturday 05 March 2011 17:57:10 Duncan wrote:
> Dotan Cohen posted on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:07:56 +0200 as excerpted:
> > I have two separate cases where seniors using KDE like to open many
> > instances of the same application rather than use the already-open
> > application. This is a user problem, not a KDE problem, but I wonder if
> > there is  technical solution.
> >
> > These users click the application's menu item to start using the
> > application, even if there is already an open instance in the Taskbar or
> > in the System Tray. Examples include Firefox, Skype, Solitaire (Windows
> > executable running in Wine), and some others. Therefore, I'd like to
> > write a wrapper script for each of these apps to check if there exists a
> > running instance. If not, then open the application. If yes, then bring
> > the running application to the foreground.
> >
If this is a general problem built into 4.xxxx KDE I will be going else where. 

I often have several spread sheets, pdf's and all sorts of things open in the 
way you describe ie. several instances.  Under 3.xxx any number of instances 
of kde programs are fine.  ( ;-) Other than mail for slightly understandable 
reasons )

Some browsers such a firefox are ok but opera will only fire up once.

If KDE has dropped to this sort of level it really is a rather sad because if 
it's a general thing it's a sign of extremely badly conceived software 
organisation. Instances should run entirely independently of each other. Bit 
difficult with mail but not so hard on most other things.

John
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