The `TaskManager` threadpool is a memory-safe replacement for the `spawnAndSend` operations that are currently causing memory issues in status-desktop.
From a fundamental memory management point of view, `libstatus/settings`, `libstatus/contracts`, and `libstatus/tokens` (custom tokens) have all been converted to `{.threadvar.}`s and `Atomic[bool]`s to maintain the cache and `dirty` flag across threads, respectively, eliminating the need for thread locks and incorrect `{.gcsafe.}` compiler overrides.
The successful [recyclable threadpool experiment from `nim-task-runner`](https://github.com/status-im/nim-task-runner/blob/test/use-cases/test/use_cases/test_sync.nim) using `AsyncChannel[ThreadSafeString]`s was brought over to `status-desktop` and implemented in somewhat of a hardcoded manner, as we knew this would save some time instead of trying to create a fully fleshed out `nim-task-runner` API and build a miraculous macro that may or may not be able to generate the needed API.
The threadpool is started by the `TaskManager` and both the `TaskManager` and the `TaskManager`'s threadpool are started as early as possible in the application lifecycle (in `nim_status_client.nim`). The `TaskManager` creates a thread to run the threadpool. During its initialization, the threadpool then spools up all the threads it will manage and puts them in an idle thread sequence. This is to prevent expensive thread creation and teardown happening during the app's lifetime as it is quite expensive and blocks the main thread. When tasks comes in to the pool, the task is sent to an idle thread, or put in a queue if all threads are busy. The idle thread is moved to the busy thread sequence. When a task is completed, the thread is taken out of the busy threads sequence and moved back in to the sequence of idle threads, effectively recycling it.
The first `spawnAndSend` we were able to change over to the new threadpool was `estimate`, which estimates the gas of a sticker purchase transaction.
From the consumer point of view, the existing `spawnAndSend` to achieve this looks like:
```nim
proc estimate*(self: StickersView, packId: int, address: string, price: string, uuid: string) {.slot.} =
let status_stickers = self.status.stickers
spawnAndSend(self, "setGasEstimate") do:
var success: bool
var estimate = status_stickers.estimateGas(packId, address, price, success)
if not success:
estimate = 325000
let result: tuple[estimate: int, uuid: string] = (estimate, uuid)
Json.encode(result)
```
And the new syntax looks like this:
```nim
proc estimate*(self: StickersView, packId: int, address: string, price: string, uuid: string) {.slot.} =
self.status.taskManager.threadPool.stickers.stickerPackPurchaseGasEstimate(cast[pointer](self.vptr), "setGasEstimate", packId, address, price, uuid)
```
The logic inside the `spawnAndSend` body was moved to [src/status/tasks/stickers.nim](https://github.com/status-im/status-desktop/compare/experiment/tasks-3?expand=1#diff-09e57eef00b0cee5c4abdb9039f948d8372e7003e09e934a9b4c7e9167d47658).
This is just the first migration of `spawnAndSend`, however moving the majority of the remaining `spawnAndSend`s will likely just be an exercise in copy/pasta. There will be one or two that may require a bit more thinking, depending how they rely on data from the model.
Once the `spawnAndSend`s have been converted to the threadpool, we can start implementing the [long-running process from the task runner use case experiments](https://github.com/status-im/nim-task-runner/blob/test/use-cases/test/use_cases/test_long_running.nim).
And finally, we can then implement the [async tasks](https://github.com/status-im/nim-task-runner/blob/test/use-cases/test/use_cases/test_async.nim) if needed.
@michaelsbradleyjr and I spent many hours digging in to the depths of nim's memory management in an attempt to understand it. We have created [a presentation with our task runner experiment findings](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ItCxAfsVTcIoH_E4bgvmHljhbU-tC3T6K2A6ahwAedk/edit?usp=sharing), and @michaelsbradleyjr has spent time [answering questions off the back of that presentation.](https://gist.github.com/michaelsbradleyjr/1eaa9937b3fbb4ffff3fb814f0dd82a9).
We have created a fork of `edn.nim` at `status-im/edn.nim` and we need the PR to be merged and the commit hash updated before we can merge this PR in to `status-desktop`.
When the network connection is changed, the sticker packs are cleared and then re-loaded (either loading the offline (installed) sticker packs, or all the sticker packs from the network).
Stickers can be sent while offline, though the sticker images do not load once offline (this is likely a side effect of the bug described below).
There is a known bug in QNetworkAccessManager (https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-55180) that was re-introduced in 5.14.1 that does not allow us to download resources if we go offline then come back online. The workaround employed in this PR manually sets the NetworkAccessible property of QNetworkAccessManager once we have been connected back online. The NetworkAccessible property is marked as obsolete and will be removed in Qt6, so it is something that we need to be aware of when we upgrade. However the hope is that the bug has been fixed.
Close StickersPopup when disconnected from network (so that re-loading of sticker packs doesn't look out of place).
fix: set network status correctly at load
feat: stickers gas estimate async
feat: When network re-connected, any http images that were not properly loaded in an ImageLoader component will automatically be reloaded.
fix: Sticker button loading icon
chore: Bump nimqml and dotherside
NOTE: This PR uses an updated nimqml and dotherside. The respective changes should be merged first, and the commit hash should be bumped in this PR prior to merging. Relevant PRs:
[https://github.com/status-im/dotherside/pull/20](https://github.com/status-im/dotherside/pull/20)
[https://github.com/status-im/nimqml/pull/17](https://github.com/status-im/nimqml/pull/17)
Fixes#1377.
Fixes#1479.
Two sites have been added to the whitelist: giphy.com and tenor.com.
`imageUrls` in its entirety has been removed and instead all links are being handle through the message `linkUrls`. This prevents double-handling of urls that may or may not be images.
The logic to automatically show links previews works like this:
1. If the setting "display chat images" is enabled, all links that *contain* ".png", ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".svg", ".gif" will be automatically shown. If the URL doesn't contain the extension, we are not downloading it. This was meant to be somewhat of a security compromise as we do not want to download each and every link posted in a message just to find out its true content type.
2. If the above setting is *disabled*, then we follow the whitelist settings for tenor and giphy. This allows us to preview gifs that do not have a file extension in their url.
feat: bump status-go to the commit that supports the new whitelist (https://github.com/status-im/status-go/pull/2094), and also lets us get link preview data from urls in the whitelist. NOTE: this commit was branched off status-go `develop`, so once it is merged, and we update this PR to the new commit, we will effectively be getting status-go develop changes. We *could* base that status-go PR off of master if it makes things easier.
fix: height on settings update issue
feat: move date/time of message below links
fix: layout issues when changing setting `neverAskAboutUnfurlingAgain`
feat: Add MessageBorder component to aid in showing rounded corners with different radius
YouTube link unfurling was not working for a couple reasons.
There were two main parts fixed:
1. QML context for messages pertaining to linkUrls and imageUrls was changed from implicit to explicit. By this, I mean that any time we referenced linkUrls/imageUrls, we were relying on the knowledge that those values would be populated by some parent context several levels up. Now, we are referring to properties that have been explicitly defined on the components. This offers the ability to reuse components, and makes reading the code and debugging much easier.
2. Error handling has been added to getting link preview data. An unhandled "error" was thrown each time a link that wasn't whitelisted was passed in, causing the app to crash. For example, when a link to a tenor gif was posted in the chat, that URL was not whitelisted, causing the app to crash.
Use nim-web3 library and remove internal encoding funcs that were copied from nim-web3.
Remove all instances of EthAddress (and therefore eth/common/eth_types imports)
- Determine if the recent transaction history is being fetched or available before obtaining the first 20 transactions
- On account change, reset the selected tab to show the asset list
- Collectibles were kinda pixelated/blurry (not anymore)
Fixes#806
Eric Mastro
Michael Bradley, Jr
Richard Ramos
Jonathan Rainville
Iuri Matias