[release] Launcher

i was using approcket for a while when it was in beta release, but then they wanted money, so then i thought about making my own version...

so here it is... in all its glory (as much as it can be for an 0.1 release)

here is a portion of the readme:

About:

Launcher is a utility similar to Launchbar (for OSX) and appRocket (for XP). You can access all your favorite applications from a much more convenient and faster way than using the start menu. Launcher was desinged to me effecient both in use and in memory. .NET is required for Launcher to work.

Enjoy

Features:

Launcher features a short hand method of calling up your favorite apps in the list. if you want to pull up Edit Plus, but don't want to type it all out and have the auto complete feature turned off, you can simply type ep (if thats your alias), and Launcher will know you want Edit Plus. (this feature has not been extensively tested, so if you find a bug, dont be suprised)

Launcher

------------------------

Please tag your threads. This is a [Release], isnt it?

The Topic Has Been Tagged

// Seph

#205528

I like the idea behind this. I'll be using this in addition to everything else covering my desktop.

That having been said, it does need a few more features, specifically better ranges of positions.

#205531

you can right click and drag the hide/show button and move and resize it... didnt know if you knew that...

what other options for positioning is there? left side of the screen... what else

#205547

I tried that and it wasnt working at all.

#205549

Nice and small Iam liking it thanks man

#205664

Pics please?

#205705

Here you go.......

#205719

hmm, bummer that no one seems to be trying it out...

here is an update with some bug fixes.

you need the first file posted as well in order to make it work... thus the reasoning for calling this attached file an update...

#206487

I would love to use this, because I always use start-menu->run, but I'm getting an exception that is not catched if I try to run it :cry: :cry:

#206488

well what is the exception? i cant fix things if i dont know about them..

but first off, do you have the latest .net framework?

please post as much info about the exception as you can... what you did to do it/replicate it.

thanks

#206491

I double click the launcher.exe, a common dialogue box pops up telling me that "Application has generated an exception that could not be handled", along with some pid and threadId info.

What's the latest .NET version? I don't want to go and download the 100Mb install again for nothing, 'cause I generally don't use anything.NET.

#206493

as far as i know, .net framework is up to 1.1

i assume you have all the files needed to run launcher in the same directory?

launcher.exe

launcher.ini

MCLHotkey.dll

#206635

Originally posted by mmanson132@Aug 23 2004, 10:51 PM

hmm, bummer that no one seems to be trying it out...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe you could make an AveDesk Desklet for this?

Edit Woudln't it be nice if you knew what I was talking about when I typed "100'?

#206637

100MB? nonononono

the .Net Framework is "only" 20MB

grab the latest here

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&DisplayLang=en

gonna try this out later on.

#206641

mmanson132 May everything bless your brians! :woot:

Do you know what you have done for me?! :canadian:

You saved a hell of a lot of trouble, I was going to do something similar in Object Bar with Sub-System. But it wasnt going to be customizable...it would only display the recently used apps.....

But who gives a fook!! This is way better! :rock:

Fook copyright 2004, foxor.....

#207018

good to hear!!!! hope you enjoy it.

#207156

Topic Moved.

This belongs in Community Applications.

-----------------------------

Stevie BM

#209366

Hey man, i love your app. I think, if it's not asking too much and you're not too bussy, it'd be nice to have the icons of the apps appear on the side of the titles. I dunno, just a thought. Also, what is the hotkey?

#209380

that actually what im trying to work on for the next release... the problem lies in trying to get the icons to not look like crap because of the alpha transparency turning to straight black... if anyone has any suggestions that knows vb.net, or would like to contribute to Launcher in any other way, just PM or email me...

a hot key in the general term is like ctrl c to copy... right now, im also looking onto how to make this feature of Launcher customizable. but with school just starting, i dont have any time to devote to this project. the hotkey for launcher is currently predefined to alt+space... when this is pushed, launcher should show itself (whether its hidden completly or not).. i know there are some minor bugs using the hotkey depending on the state of the app (showing or not) before the hotkey is pushed.

#209431

Well, if you're not too iffy about sharing the source code, I could help you out on the icon thingy. Just holler at david_tonto[at]hotmail.com

#209433

here are some updates to launcher.. mostly small updates (bugs)

if you have any offerings to this project, let me know.

im having help on getting the icons to show in the drop down list... and to get some shadow and alpha transparency going...

#218922

man this is such a sweet app..

if you can get the icons to work that would be even better..

hope you will be able to develope this further

would it be possible to be able to change the images of the arrows and such??

#223722

sorry, havent checked back here in a while cuz no one seemed to be trying it out...

im currently working on a better looking version of the app (with pngs, so you can have shadows and such). and it will be skinnable (of sorts).

hopefully ill get a functional, or minimally a visual release out sometime during december/january... gotta make it through finals first... damn college.

#233012

Ive been running it since the day you first posted it I cant live without it now. Its very stable and handy as hell.

#233075

ok, finals are finally over... its about time!

so now its time to plan the development of the better looking version of launcher... and of course i have a few questions.

1. making the app support pngs with alpha transparencies and all the fun stuff is proving to be slightly more difficult that i initially thought... although i have it working, it is a bit jumpy when you resize it... so, is it a must to be able to resize the app?

2. again with the pngs, if you want it to be able to be resized, for some reason VB adds a gradient transparency to a png as it is resized... so in order to be able to resize the app, there are going to be some weird skinning issues (like the middle portion of the app that is tiled has to be wider than your monitor, or at least wider than you would ever want the app to be)... oops, guess this one wasnt really a question... moving on

3. as i mentioned before, the app is in VB, yeah i know, not my first choice either, but its easier than c++. i looked at visual C++, and there is a chance i can pull it off. i dont know if performance will improve if i do it in vC++, but any opinions are welcome, and any advice/help. so, VB or C++?

4. ok, on to the functionality. do you care about drag and drop? for things like photoshop... i guess that might be nice, but not to sure if its possible this early in the game.

5. different positions on the screen? is it necessary to allow the app to be in any of the 4 corners, or even better any where along the border of the screen (centered)

6. open source? my first thought is no... this is my work, and i dont wanna share , but i suppose if there are some other programmers out there that want to join in on the fun, ill consider it.

7. icons in the drop down? yeah, this would be nice, and probably wont come with the initial release, but maybe down the road when i finally figure out how to do it.

8. dual release? i know there are those of you who dont care about the app looking nice (im sort of one of them), so should there be an option to minimalize the app? probably to look like the older release.

other notes:

• there probably wont be things like contacts or links in the list anytime soon basicall because i dont know how to read contacts, and both contacts and links could come from to many places/apps (IE, firefox, outlook, OE, thunderbird, etc...)
  
• there probably will be the ability to google search in it (and php). if you dont know what im talking about, check out launchbar's site, its a new feature for them too.
  
• i would like to develop over my break, and have a release out before i go back... but there are no promises.. i have to work as well, and thats coding as well, so i dont know how enthused im going to be after work to work on it, but right now im pretty excited. lots of ideas
  

attached is a proof of concept... it an exe, and you need .net for it (dont complain) :mad:. again, its just the minimal visual, but you can see what i mean by choppy when you resize it... some of you might not notice it, but slower machines (>1G) might. the pngs are included because the app will be skinnable, so get creative (as much as you can with 3 pngs)... its not free forming, sorry). if anyone cannot run the app, please post it, and either i or other members will try to help troubleshoot. to close the app, kill it in task manager... if you ALT+F4 it, you will only close part of the program... ill get to fixing that eventually

thanks!

and be on the lookout for updates!

(and to the mods of the forums, if i get this app released, please be nice enough to give me an announcement on the front page.. i had hoped to get one for my initial release, but didnt, i think some people have never heard of my app, based on other forum threads)...

#237486