AppLauncherTRAY [new name! and new update]

[SxyfrG]

This is a project me and my friend worked on when we first found AutoIT (around October last year). At first the script was around 12,000 lines long, flooded with redundant functions and too cluttered to post here, so i just kept the project on my HD and left it as it was (and used it everyday ).

But around 3 weeks ago i had a massive "oh, DUH!" moment when i realised how i could make my script far more efficient

And now, may i present to you my favourite AutoIT script ... Game AppLauncherTRAY!

This application was originally written with a pre-defined set of games to launch (without the option to change them unless you changed the source code, then re-compiled the app.) to solve a dilemma i was having, too many desktop icons!

Since then, with the help of my friends Qlmmy, Hawk and Matt, we have managed to develop my simple application into a very flexible and user friendly (and hopefully bug-free) application which allows you to launch up to 100 of your favourite games/programs with ease!

The download contains the source + all files needed for AppLauncherTRAY to run

New version:

AppLauncherTRAYv1.1.0.au3 (102K) Number of downloads:

AppLauncherTRAY Installer.7z (876.4K) Number of downloads:

AppLauncherTRAY.7z (for those that don't want an installer) (586.1K) Number of downloads:

New version
========
Added:
 Silent update check on launch
 Quick exploit fixed which would allow two copies of AppLauncherTRAY to be run simultaneously
 Fixed up a spelling error in the Read_Me.txt file

Changed:
 Changed "game*" to "Item *"
 Changed name to AppLauncherTRAY (suited the purpose of this application more)

Comments and all that is, as always, highly appreciated

ToDo List:

- Change the way items are renamed, have their paths changed, deleted and all that.
    Current idea [please comment on this!]: 
    Have a menu GUI for each group + main group with all the commands to edit the menu-items inside it.
    Use a combo-box to list all the menu items (set to read-only) and register the WM_COMMAND msg (i *think*) to capture any 
    changes to the item selected in the combo-box and update the other controls i'm planning on having in the GUI by searching 
    the appropriate arrays (like the current way i do so to launch, change name or change path). 
    If anyone has any ideas on a better way to do this, please share your opinion :)

- Try and port everything over to the modern_menu look

- Optimise source code (again)

*PLEASE NOTE*

Due to AutoIT's limitations, only 502 tray items can be created, so if you max out all the groups + default group most likely tray items won't be created.

Also the Readme has a changelog which has obviously wrong version numbers. I reset the version number in the script when i had my "oh, DUH!" moment, but didn't do so in the Readme

*LATEST EDIT*

Uploaded new version, see above for changes

Old versions:

AppLauncherTRAY.7z (1134.9K) Number of downloads:

GameLauncherTRAY.zip (1248.3K) Number of downloads: (Previous downloads: 28)

Edited October 1, 2008 by SxyfrG

[SaphuA]

The zip is empty for me?

[gseller]

Yep, zip file is empty...

[SxyfrG]

Just tested both download links ...

Megaupload: no problem

Trashbin: got a winRAR error: Unexpected end of archive, but i was still able to extract the contents.

I'll re-upload to trashbin right now and update my first post

*EDIT*

Done, check first post

Edited September 7, 2008 by SxyfrG

[BeBeT0]

Zip İs a ERROR File Damage Plz New Files Upload

[SxyfrG]

Zip İs a ERROR File Damage Plz New Files Upload

I've just updated all the links, downloaded the file from the all and they all worked. Please try again :S

[BeBeT0]

I've just updated all the links, downloaded the file from the all and they all worked. Please try again :S

Not Working File ERROR And Txt File Upload Or 7zip

[SxyfrG]

Not Working File ERROR And Txt File Upload Or 7zip

Ok, try this link: Download

But seriosuly, WTH! I've downloaded the file from all the filehosts i uploaded it to on multiple computers and opened all files successfully with WinRAR, 7Zip and Microsoft zip compressed folders! Could it just be a problem on your end ... ?

*EDIT*

If the download works and you try this app. can you please provide some feedback ... I'm kinda hanging out for some

Edited September 7, 2008 by SxyfrG

[gseller]

Hey! That is pretty cool! Don't care for the launch being inside the name on the menu but off hand I don't see a better way of doing it either. LOL Nice lil script, thanks for sharing it..

[SxyfrG]

Hey! That is pretty cool! Don't care for the launch being inside the name on the menu but off hand I don't see a better way of doing it either. LOL Nice lil script, thanks for sharing it..

Thanks gesller

I was thinking of setting the menu (i.e. Game1) with the function that launches the application or document, but i decided not to as i know a lot of people who don't hover their mouse over a menu, yet click it to open it instead ... so imagine all the error msgbox's they would have been getting saying "No Path Specified"

[gseller]

True That...

[icadea]

simply great. thanks

[SxyfrG]

simply great. thanks

Glad you like it

[SxyfrG]

*BUMP*

[sulfurious]

Nice job. Seems like it works very well. lol, a cadillac version of a game launcher via tray I would say.

2100 lines of code for that too. Mine I am afraid is not so pretty, nor so full of features and thankfully only 400 or so lines. Just sort of 'add the game, click the menu item and go' sort of affair. But mine was never meant for strictly games either, but for anything. With some re-wording and a little tweaking you could easily change the focus from just games to also other applications. Basically anything that you can run or execute.

I did not notice, does your tray have a hotkey to act like a right click (context menu type thing)? That was the trick with mine, I use it for everything from disabling NIC to starting a game, and I got very tired very fast of using my mouse to go to tray, so mine pops up like a right click with a hotkey.

Anyway good job and lot's of potential.

Sul.

[SxyfrG]

Nice job. Seems like it works very well. lol, a cadillac version of a game launcher via tray I would say.

2100 lines of code for that too. Mine I am afraid is not so pretty, nor so full of features and thankfully only 400 or so lines. Just sort of 'add the game, click the menu item and go' sort of affair. But mine was never meant for strictly games either, but for anything. With some re-wording and a little tweaking you could easily change the focus from just games to also other applications. Basically anything that you can run or execute.

*snip*

Anyway good job and lot's of potential.

Sul.

It was, in it's very first form, an application written strictly for myself to launch my multitude of games. Since then i've made it much much more flexible and the like, all i need to do is change about 3 lines of code so it says AppLauncherTRAY everywhere instead of GameLauncherTRAY and thus change the focus from games to general applications (which i'll do after my easy 2 unit maths [i think that's advanced maths in the USA] exam tomorrow).

I'm actually utilising the shellexecute function so you can choose to basically "launch" any document or application you want

I did not notice, does your tray have a hotkey to act like a right click (context menu type thing)? That was the trick with mine, I use it for everything from disabling NIC to starting a game, and I got very tired very fast of using my mouse to go to tray, so mine pops up like a right click with a hotkey.

i *kinda* get what you're saying, and correct me if i'm wrong, but are you suggesting that i should add a hotkey (customisable by the user) which would trigger a tray event via some complex method? Or did i jump in the wrong end? >_<

And thank you for the response, i've been hanging out for something to add to this program

[sulfurious]

Yes, from the looks I sorta thought your title game launcher was a little limited to what it looks like it can actually do.

Check mine out here thread (I don't know if that is what is called 'hot linking' or not, and am unsure if that is allowed. Mod please let me know if that is ok that link)

Anyway, while I don't post the code due to reasons that I made if for my boss, he did let me share the .exe.

Check it out. I just wanted something to handle all of the most common tasks we would happen to use at work, but it is modified via an .ini file so you can do with it what you need. I tried to steer clear of too many submenu's because it did not seem faster than a shortcut at that point. Although it is certainly capable of making as many as needed. So I was finding ways to bring the tray up initially and then either use arrow keys to traverse, or move the mouse to the tray, which did work. Eventually a couple peeps here led me to find how to make the hotkey bring my menu up just like a context menu. I have noticed as more apps add context menu's that they become slower, so I really like mine because it is very very fast comparatively.

I also made a small gui to accept drag and drop of items to add. Seemed easier.

I am constantly getting newer 'used' computers and donating them to work (we aren't a corp after all) and thus constantly reinstalling my slipstreamed updated xp pro. So rather than just hard code things or make an all inclusive .ini, I made another portion that looks to an .ini for the all inclusive 'list' but then give you options of what exactly you want to add to the menu. Sort of an in bulk fashion. I limited that feature to .exe's only as that is what was needed.

Maybe it will give you some ideas, as you are seemingly very willing to continue your work on this project and you also have the luxury of being able to share the source.

I do have a udf's of my own for a simple repository, useful for archiving versions quickly, but simpler that cvs stuff. I find when I work (or rework lol) a script it USUALLY work out ok, but sometimes I modify soo much I lose track and break somethign. My repository is a function key and it just saves a copy and appends a name. Very useful. And I have a few good .ini to array type udfs as well as some rather good IMO arrayadd udfs. Nothing ground breaking probalby, but it has sure reduced my code base quite a bit. If you are intersted let me know.

I am interested to see what you develop further with this.

Sul.

[SxyfrG]

Very nice program Sul, a bit slow on first initial run (creating .ini file), but it works well after that

You've inspired me to update my own program, so in the coming weeks (after my exams) you'll see some big big changes to the way it looks, however internal processing of arrays and ini files will remain the same >_<

EDIT: See first post for ToDo list

Edited September 11, 2008 by SxyfrG

[sulfurious]

Very nice program Sul, a bit slow on first initial run (creating .ini file), but it works well after that

You've inspired me to update my own program, so in the coming weeks (after my exams) you'll see some big big changes to the way it looks, however internal processing of arrays and ini files will remain the same >_<

EDIT: See first post for ToDo list

I thought you might like some of that if you were going to make it more than just a game launcher.

There is a really good thread here about a menu with icons, and I thought about that initially, pulling in for instance a game icon. In the end I opted for a minimal and fast interface, as we use this a LOT.

Yes, creating the .ini file is very slow because of the recursive search of arrays when stepping though every directory in program files. This was really just to make it more dynamic in what each user wants to add to thier menu, while still maintaining a master set of possibilities.

If I were you I would definately add an area devoted network functions. They are particuarily handy. I posted a thread and I think there are more than one here on how to enable/disable. I used wsh.

I wait to see what develops.

Sul.

[SxyfrG]

I thought you might like some of that if you were going to make it more than just a game launcher.

There is a really good thread here about a menu with icons, and I thought about that initially, pulling in for instance a game icon. In the end I opted for a minimal and fast interface, as we use this a LOT.

Yes, creating the .ini file is very slow because of the recursive search of arrays when stepping though every directory in program files. This was really just to make it more dynamic in what each user wants to add to thier menu, while still maintaining a master set of possibilities.

If I were you I would definately add an area devoted network functions. They are particuarily handy. I posted a thread and I think there are more than one here on how to enable/disable. I used wsh.

I wait to see what develops.

Sul.

Hmm, sounds interesting. I may add an option in the options menu to enable/disable a menu which contains the network-area functions and leave it up to the user whether they want it enabled or not.

Thanks again Sul