Delphi XE8. FMX. Why is different release order of CLASS VAR on Android platform?

Question

Tested with Delphi XE7 Update 1 and Delphi XE8

Create order on Windows OS (7 SP1 x64), MACOSX (10.10.3) and Android (5.0.2):

    "class constructor TGlobalClass.Create;" -> "constructor TfmMain.Create;" -> "procedure TfmMain.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);"

Release order on Windows OS and MACOSX:

    "TfmMain.FormDestroy" -> "destructor TfmMain.Destroy" -> "class destructor TGlobalClass.Destroy;"

Release order on Android:

    "class destructor TGlobalClass.Destroy;" -> "TfmMain.FormDestroy" -> "destructor TfmMain.Destroy"

Question is: why on Android platform CLASS VAR releasing before main form?

Sample of code:

unit uClassVar;

interface

type
  TGlobalClass = class
    class var F1: Integer;

    class constructor Create;
    class destructor Destroy;
  end;

implementation

{ TX }

class constructor TGlobalClass.Create;
begin
  { Breakpoint there }
  F1 := 100;
end;

class destructor TGlobalClass.Destroy;
begin
  { Breakpoint there }
  F1 := 200;
end;

end.

Main unit:

unit ufmMain;

interface

uses
  System.SysUtils, System.Types, System.UITypes, System.Classes, System.Variants,
  FMX.Types, FMX.Controls, FMX.Forms, FMX.Graphics;

type
  TfmMain = class(TForm)
    procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
    procedure FormDestroy(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
  public
    { Public declarations }
    constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent); override;
    destructor Destroy; override;
  end;

var
  fmMain: TfmMain;
  z: Integer;

implementation

uses
  uClassVar;

{$R *.fmx}

constructor TfmMain.Create;
begin
  { Breakpoint there }
  inherited;
end;

destructor TfmMain.Destroy;
begin
  { Breakpoint there }
  inherited;
end;

procedure TfmMain.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  { Breakpoint there }
  TGlobalClass.F1 := -99999;
end;

procedure TfmMain.FormDestroy(Sender: TObject);
begin
  { Breakpoint there }
  z := 200;
end;

end.

Project file:

program ClassVar;

uses
  System.StartUpCopy,
  FMX.Forms,
  ufmMain in 'ufmMain.pas' {fmMain},
  uClassVar in 'uClassVar.pas';

{$R *.res}

begin
  Application.Initialize;
  Application.CreateForm(TfmMain, fmMain);
  Application.Run;
end.

Answer 1

Desktop compilers

Your main form is destroyed when the application object destroys its components. That happens in FMX.Forms in the DoneApplication procedure.

procedure DoneApplication;
begin
  if Screen <> nil then
    Screen.ActiveForm := nil;
  Application.DestroyComponents;  <-- this is destroying your main form
end;

And DoneApplication is called during shutdown as an exit proc. That exit proc is registered from TApplication.Run like this:

{$IFNDEF ANDROID}
  AddExitProc(DoneApplication);
{$ENDIF}

Class constructors are called from the initialization section of the unit which defines them. So, TGlobalClass.Create is called from the initialization of uClassVar. Class destructors are called from the finalization section of that same unit.

The system shutdown is performed by the System unit in _Halt0. It executes all the exit procs before performing unit finalization. Hence your form is destroyed before the class destructors are called.

Mobile compilers

Note that DoneApplication is simply not called on Android.

{$IFNDEF ANDROID}
  AddExitProc(DoneApplication);
{$ENDIF}

This means is that the main form's destruction is being invoked from unit finalization. As each unit is finalized, its finalization sections are executed which result in any global variables leaving scope. Eventually, there are no more references to your main form and so its destructor is executed.

As discussed above, the class destructors are also called from unit finalization. Since on Android, your class destructor executes before the main form is destroyed, it is clear to see that uClassVar is finalized before the main form's final reference is released.

Now, that makes perfect sense because uClassVar is the final unit in the initialization order, and hence the very first unit in the finalization order. If you wanted to ensure that uClassVar is finalized later, you need to arrange for it to be initialized sooner. For instance, by changing the uses clause of your .dpr file like so:

uses
  uClassVar in 'uClassVar.pas',  
  System.StartUpCopy,
  FMX.Forms,
  ufmMain in 'ufmMain.pas' {fmMain};

Now uClassVar is the first unit initialized, and hence the last unit finalized.