TD-20271: ActiveX Destructor not called

[drasmussen]

I want to report a memory leak problem related to a specific ActiveX component!

We have included the ID Card Scanner ("Combo Smart") from ARH in our application via the ActiveX components (prApi, prDoc, gxImg), which are supplied with the scanner. Unfortunately the application shows in the productive environment after a certain period always a freezing effect. The whole application has to be terminated via the task-manager ...

Due to an intensive troubleshooting together with the ARH support team it eventually turned out, that a memory leak is to blame. Apparently the Destructor of the ActiveX is not automatically called, when our self implemented scanner dialogue is closed. The amount of memory leak varies between the three ActiveX (most strongly in case of prApi), but in principle exists in all of the ARH ActiveX components.

Meanwhile I have created a test-/reproCase, which is reduced to the absolute minimum, i.e. none of the ActiveX-functions is actually called, but the ActiveX components are just gui-components of a small dialogbox, which will be created and destroyed in a loop with a configurable amount of iterations.

In addition I would like to mention, that we can not integrate the ARH ActiveX Components via SalActiveXCreate and SalActiveXDestroy, because we also need the event handling of the prApi ActiveX in our complete implementation.

The mentioned memory leak occurs with TD4.1PTF2 and TD6.0SP7.

Attached you will find the reproCase app (arh-memory-leak-test.app). And please contact me via eMail, to get the installer for the ARH ActiveX Components. (The permission for my providing of the ARH Software is granted by the manufacturer.)

By the way:
In our application I have implemented a temporary workaround to ensure, not to instantiate the critical prApi ActiveX component at each individual dialog start, but to instantiate it through a hidden window only once (for example at the first dialog start), and to keep it there ready for further multiple use by the scan dialog. Although there still would be a memory leak, it does not escalate any more.
But this should not be a permanent solution ...

Therefore any help is appreciated!

Kind regards,
Dirk

[drasmussen]

Unfortunately Gupta itself has not yet replied to this post. Therefore I like to notify to all other Gupta Team Developer users, that the mentioned problem meanwhile (since 23th October) has been registered under the bug number TD-20271.