Upon locally starting your app: If port 8080 is in use: try 8081... or 8082... or 8083
We have all been there, running more than one app locally and getting the response
"port already in use"
So you either stop the other app, and try again.
Or you open the setting, doubleclick your configuration, click on tab Server and up both ports by one. And try again.
This idea proposes to have Studio try the next available port instead of throwing the errormessage.
Going to say I agree with Martin on this one and disagree with this idea. I don't think it should be cycling through to get the next free one and would rather the error and setting the configuration manually.
Your second proposed solution of allowing the developer to enter another port to try instead is better. I definitely do not think Mendix should be killing the port though.
Also a collegue of mine suggested that Mendix as starting-step-1 should check if the port is available. If not, then Studio should give two options: "Have the developer free up the port by stopping the other port-using app" or (Studio quickly checks the next free port and:) "use port 80xx".
I'm not sure about this. We also have multiple apps, but we also have a lot of integrations, so if we want to test those locally we want these apps on fixed port numbers. That's what the configuration settings are for. And seeing as Mendix inconsistently resets the configuration to default after a crash or installing a new modeler I prefer the error over semi-randomized port numbers.
Great Idea